It Was Hell
by Allen the Musician
Summary: These were the words that Allen Walker would later use to describe the period of time that he spent 'training' with General Cross Marian. A fic about the time that Allen spent with Cross and the effect that it had on the person that he later became. R
1. An Unexpected Meeting

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter One - An Unexpected Meeting

Allen Walker numbly sat on the ground beside a pile of smoking remains that was no longer recognizable as the creature that it had been mere minutes ago. His breathing was labored and his right eye possessed a glassy shine that would make anyone who gazed upon him think that the child had lost his mind. It was an empty stare. The look of someone who's world had ended. His other eye was glowing red and covered in blood. A cursed star had been carved in the flesh above his left eye and a scar trailed from the pentacle's tip down the length of his face.

The cursed mark had been a gift from his foster father Mana.

The little body cringed involuntarily as he thought back to the moment he had acquired the injury that was now causing blood to run down his face and fall to form a small pool on the ground. He had been so happy when the strange man had offered to bring Mana back to life but the offer had been too good to be true. Mana's soul had been brought back but it was different, corrupted. And angry.

The creature had cursed him, in a voice that Allen would never forget, and then slashed his face.

Allen had been certain that he was going to die at that moment and he was more than resigned to his fate. He welcomed it. His world had ended with Mana's death and now that he had brought Mana's soul back and caused him so much pain all he wanted was to die and join his father.

Unfortunately the strange arm that he had been born with, the cause of most of the suffering that he had endured in his relatively short life, suddenly changed it's shape. As though it had a will of it's own it transformed into a huge claw and began to move of it's own volition. The strange appendage attacked the creature that contained Mana's soul, no matter how much Allen screamed for it to stop. It was his own arm and yet he found that he couldn't control it.

And it was after Mana!

"Allen. . ."

The sound of that voice gave the young boy pause.

"Allen, I love you," the creature said with the voice of a dead man. "Destroy me, please. Destroy me, Allen."

Despite the plea Allen still shouted for him to run. He didn't want to watch Mana die again and yet, despite his warnings, Mana refused to run. The child screamed in horror as his claw like hand closed around the strange skeleton that possessed Mana's soul. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Tears were flowing unchecked from Allen's eyes and he desperately wished that he could take back what he had done. He was utterly devastated by what he had done to Mana and all he wanted was to die. The child couldn't get the words 'I curse you Allen' out of his head.

He feared that those words would be echoing through his memories until the day that he drew his last breath. The hurt in Mana's voice had been obvious and Allen knew that he was going to be haunted by today's events for the remainder of his worthless life.

"I'm sorry Mana," he mouthed, unable to make any actual words issue forth from his mouth.

Allen was suddenly brought back to the here and now by the sound of someone approaching. He didn't even bother to look up and he had no fear of whoever it was that was walking toward him. There was nothing left to fear when you wanted death and he merely continued to stare blankly ahead. The sound of the approaching footsteps paused briefly and a voice broke the silence.

"The souls trapped inside Akuma are powerless. They're forever captive and become dangerous toys of the Millennium Earl. Destroying them is the only way to save them."

The footsteps resumed and within seconds a strange man had come to kneel behind the young boy. Allen continued to stare at the remains of the thing that had held Mana's soul, not even registering the fact that the mitten he used to hide his deformed hand from the world was now gone.

"Ah, a human born with an Anti-Akuma weapon. What an unfortunate fate. You also appear to be an apostle possessed by God."

Allen glanced around as he felt the man place a hand on his shoulder. The man who was kneeling behind him was dressed in black and gold and had long hair, which was flaming red in color. The right side of his face was covered by some kind of white mask and a strange golden object was perched on top of his hat.

"How would you like to become an Exorcist?"

Allen was somewhat surprised by the man's words. He had never heard of Exorcists before but he gathered that they were people who went around and destroyed the cursed Akuma. Thinking back to the pain that Mana's voice had held the boy nodded.

He had committed a grievous sin, had turned his foster father into an Akuma, and he desperately wanted to make up for what he had done. Before he died Mana had told him to keep walking and Allen saw this as an opportunity for his life to have meaning.

For Mana he would become an Exorcist and help those other unfortunate souls who have been brought back to the world of the living against their wills. If there were indeed other souls suffering out there like Mana then he wanted to do something to help them.

"My name is Cross Marian and I'm a general with the Black Order," the man said as he got to his feet. "Our job is to track down the Akuma and destroy them. I'll train you to use the weapon that you were born with and then it will be your job as well."

Allen nodded once more.

"Let's go," the man said, his voice gruff.

Allen nodded and shakily got to his feet. His legs still seemed somewhat numb after his encounter with the Akuma and he stumbled as he attempted to follow along behind the man. "Ugh," Cross groaned as he seized Allen by the front of his shirt and prevented his fall.

"Thank you," the boy whispered, his throat becoming somewhat sore due to the hold that the man had on his collar. "My name's Allen by the way."

"Wrong," Cross said, still holding the kid by the collar of his shirt. He gazed into the kid's eyes, one gray while the other was glowing red. "You will answer to whatever I happen to call you at the time. Or else."

Allen saw a glint in the man's eye and was certain that this was a threat.

With a disgusted little sigh Cross released the hold, nearly causing the boy to fall. "You will address me as Master from this day forward. You are now my apprentice and for all intents and purposes I own you. Do you understand this boy?"

This statement brought out the defiant streak in the boy, the part of his personality that Mana had all but rid him of. "Yes. . . Master."

Cross heard the barely veiled defiance in the boy's voice and he didn't like it. Not one little bit. Turning around with surprising speed he backhanded the child, causing the boy to fall. Allen hit the ground hard and gazed up at his new master with a hint of fear in his eyes.

Cross smiled, enjoying the look. It would be better for them both if the kid both hated and feared him. It would force the brat to grow into a stronger person, which would aid him on his journey to becoming an Exorcist. This was not a job for the weak and if the boy didn't toughen up and quickly then he wouldn't survive long.

Shaking his head Cross turned and once again began walking away. Allen gazed at the man's retreating back for a couple of seconds before getting to his feet and following along behind him. He was fairly certain that his time with this man wasn't going to be pleasant but he had made his decision and he was going to stick with it.

For Mana's sake, as well as the sake of all of the other unfortunate souls who had been damned to the existence of an Akuma, he would become an Exorcist.

_"Keep walking. Never stop."_

Those were the words that echoed in his mind as Allen Walker fell into step behind General Cross Marian. He would keep walking, following along the path that he had chosen. For the poor souls of the Akuma he would become an Exorcist.

A/N - It's a fic about Allen and Cross! Poor Allen, this will not be pleasant for him but luckily we all know that he survives! Yay! I humbly ask that you please leave a review and tell me what you thought. The music has ended for now but rest assured that there will be more to come. The Musician


	2. Bonding

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Two - Bonding

As he made his way back to the inn where he was renting a room Cross didn't even bother to look back to make sure that the brat was still following him. It was true that the kid possessed Innocence and would be viewed as valuable by the Black Order but as far as Cross was concerned the kid was pretty much useless.

Besides, he knew that the kid would follow.

The boy named Allen was traumatized by the events in the cemetery however Cross saw the determination that had appeared in the boy's eyes when he mentioned becoming an Exorcist. It seemed that the brat desperately wanted to help other souls who were enduring the same hell that he had forced upon his father and had Cross been a better person he would have admired the kid for this desire.

Unfortunately for the kid, Cross was NOT a good person. Everyone at the Order knew this to be a fact and the kid would find out the truth of it soon enough. He would not coddle the kid during the training that he had planned.

That would not make him a good Exorcist.

When he reached the small inn where he was staying Cross opened the door and, once again grabbing the brat by the collar of his shirt, he casually tossed him into the room. Allen squeaked in dismay as he landed in a heap on the floor however he had learned his lesson and didn't show his displeasure to his new master. His poor battered face was still feeling the affects of the last time that he had displeased the man.

Entering the room behind his new apprentice Cross made his way over to a chair and sat down, enjoying the feeling of no longer being on his feet. He had already done far too much work for one day and all he wanted now was to grab a drink and relax.

Unfortunately the sight of the kid was annoying him.

"Get yourself cleaned up," Cross demanded, glaring at the child through the one eye that was visible. "You're disgusting."

This time Allen was unable to keep his tongue in check. Jumping to his feet he glared at his new master and snarled, "You know, you don't have to be such a jerk!"

Allen would regret these words for the rest of the night.

"So I'm a jerk am I?" Cross said as he casually got to his feet and walked over to the spot where the kid was standing. There was a cruel glint in the man's red eye that made Allen shiver. The boy cowered, realizing that he had just made a huge mistake, but he wasn't fast enough to escape the wrath of his new master. Raising his hand Cross slapped the boy across the face, although he was careful not to hit the side that was already injured.

Not out of kindness, mind you, but due to the fact that the boy's wound had finally stopped bleeding and he didn't want to have to clean blood out of the carpet.

The blow sent the child flying across the room and, after hitting the wall, he slumped to the floor. His cheek was throbbing and he absently raised a hand to touch it, probbing it gently with his fingers. The skin was slightly warm however there didn't appear to be any serious damage.

"Now get your ass up," Cross snapped, glaring down at the child who was once again lying on the floor.

"Yes Master," the boy muttered, pushing himself up with his hands. Allen slowly got to his feet and, without another word to the cruel man that he was forced to call Master, made his way to the small bathroom. Pouring some water into a porcelain bowl the young boy used a washcloth to wipe away the blood that had dried on his face.

Glancing up the kid noticed that there was a mirror hanging on the wall and his eyes widened as his gaze fell upon his reflection in the mirror. There was a wound running almost the entire length of his face and, although that was somewhat shocking, it was nothing to the sight of his hair. The boy was fairly certain that it had been brown before however now it was pure white.

As white as new fallen snow.

"WHAT?!" he exclaimed, backing up and tripping.

Hearing the outburst Cross glanced up and watched as the kid stumbled out of the little bathroom and landed on the floor. "What the hell is your problem now idiot apprentice?"

"M. . . my hair," the boy stuttered, clutching at a strand of his white hair as though he were afraid of it.

"What about it?" Cross casually reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a cigarette. The little golem, Timcanpy, left his perch on the general's hat and flew across the room to the spot where the boy was sitting. The little creature flew around the child's head as though he wanted to offer the brat comfort.

"It's white," Allen whispered.

"Uh huh," Cross said as he lit the end of his cigarette and took a drag. The rush of nicotine was a welcome feeling after his long night and he sighed in contentment. Now he felt the need to drink a glass of wine and then take a nap but first he had to deal with the idiot boy who was still sitting in the floor. "You can thank your little adventure earlier for that. Takes one hell of a shock to turn hair white."

"Then. . . you mean. . ."

Cross groaned in annoyance, wishing the kid would just spit out whatever it was that he wanted to say.

"It's gonna stay like this?"

"Yep," Cross said.

Completely stunned all Allen could do was sit in the floor and run his fingers through his now white hair. As though his life hadn't been complicated enough with the cruel man that he had to call master and the deformed left hand that contained something called Innocence now his hair was white.

"Timcanpy, keep an eye on the kid for me. I'm going to take a nap," Cross suddenly announced, completely bored with Allen's little nervous breakdown. "If you so much as make a noise I'll kill you."

And with these words Cross threw himself down on the bed and turned away from his apprentice.

Allen was tempted to get his revenge against the man while he was sleeping however the memory of the man's hand striking his face made him rethink that plan of action. Cross seemed to have no sympathy and Allen had no doubt in his mind that the man would follow through with his threat. With a small sigh the child curled himself into a ball on the floor, wrapping his arms around his small chest in a protective manner.

Tears once again streamed down his face and for the first time he allowed himself to grieve for the loss of his foster father. After Mana's funeral he had went into shock and had merely sat alone at the grave site. He hadn't shed even a single tear but now he allowed all of his pent up emotions to burst forth. The child shook with the force of his sobs but he managed to remain silent.

He had no desire to further anger Cross.

The little golden creature that had been flying around his head suddenly landed beside him and touched him with one little wing. Raising a hand Allen wiped the tears from his eyes, being very careful with his left eye, and gazed at the little creature, whom his Master had called Timcanpy.

Allen was somewhat touched that this strange little creature was seeking to offer him comfort and he reached out and gently touched it with one finger.

"Thank you," he mouthed to the little creature. He wanted to express his gratitude yet he was still too afraid of his Master to actually speak the words. Timcanpy seemed to understand however and curled up on the ground beside him.

Wondering what exactly he had gotten himself into Allen fell asleep in the floor, still curled into a little ball. Timcanpy remained beside him and this was how Cross found them when he awoke a couple of hours later. "Idiot apprentice," he muttered as he tossed a blanket on top of the kid so that he wouldn't have to look at him anymore.

A/N - poor Allen. But at least he made a friend. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please be kind enough to leave a review and tell me what you thought. The music has ended for now, stay tuned for more. The Musician.


	3. Travels with Cross

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Three - Travels with Cross

Allen had been with General Cross Marian for a grand total of a week and all the boy had learned during this time was to stay out of the man's way, especially if he had been drinking. Which he did frequently. It seemed that Cross had a fondness for alcohol and the company of women. Allen was thoroughly disgusted by his Master's behavior however, after the first time, he made it a point not to comment.

That was a mistake that he would not soon be forgetting and something that he had absolutely no intentions of ever repeating. He would just have to learn to deal with his Master's abrasive and abusive personality. At least until he was a fully trained Exorcist.

And so he accompanied his Master to the various bars that the man frequented, never the same place more than once, and made every attempt to stay out of the man's way. Sitting alone at a table Allen would play with a deck of playing cards that he had obtained. His left hand had always been stiff and difficult to move and Allen was using the card games that he was learning as a way to increase the limb's mobility.

For the most part Cross ignored him. Normally his attention was locked onto the women who seemed to be inexplicably attracted to him. Allen had no idea why the women seemed to like the man so much but it was a fact that they did.

Women were beyond his ability to comprehend.

Allen was once again seated at a table in the corner of a bar, his attention focused intently on the cards that he had laid out on the table in front of him. No one in the bar was paying any attention to him and the boy was making every attempt not to pay any attention to any of them.

He wanted nothing more than to blend into the room and disappear.

Cross was seated at the bar, a glass of wine held in his hand and a lady on each arm. The one on his right was blonde while the one on his left had raven black hair and both were muttering nonsensical words in his ears. This sight made Allen even more desperate to disappear but unfortunately he was unable to do that.

"Cross honey," the blond woman purred, rubbing her hand on the Exorcist's chest. "You didn't tell me that you had a son."

Now Cross Marian wasn't shocked by much, having done and seen so many things, but this statement actually made him choke on the wine that he was trying to enjoy. And this made him angry although he didn't show it. Calmly placing the glass on the counter he said, in his most dignified voice, "That brat is not my son. He's my idiot apprentice."

Allen was still trying his best not to draw attention to himself yet the words spoken by his Master made him cringe. Cross sounded as though it disgusted him to be labeled as the boy's father and Allen felt all of his old feelings of uselessness, the feelings that Mana had helped him get rid of, coming back in full force.

He didn't know why he allowed the man's words to hurt him but he did.

"Grrrr," the boy growled low in his throat. He desperately longed to yell at the man but he had learned his lesson. Cross could get violent, especially when he had been drinking, and after only a week Allen already knew better than to yell at the man. So he settled for mouthing the insults that he so longed to use on the man that he was forced to call Master.

"HEY CROSS!"

Allen instinctively glanced up at the sound of shouting and he watched as a group of large men approached the spot where his Master was seated. The men were huge and looked as though the had every intention of fighting the red haired Exorcist General. He was curious as to whether his Master could handle a fight against so many men and he kept his gaze locked on the scene.

Cross regarded the men calmly for a few minutes, casually taking a sip of the wine that he held, and then without so much as a word of warning to anyone the General jumped to his feet and dashed from the room. Allen was shocked by this move and could only stare at the retreating figure. Then, as though realizing that he was supposed to accompany the man, Allen jumped to his feet and ran after his Master.

"Come back here!" the men yelled, saying something else that vaguely sounded like 'you owe us money' although Allen didn't pause long enough to really hear the words that they were screaming. It was obvious to him that his Master had upset these people and he was desperate to get away.

"Hey," Cross said to the boy who had appeared behind him.

"Hnn," was all that Allen managed to say before he was kicked back.

"You take care of them!" Cross ordered as he continued to run.

Allen was absolutely horrified that his Master would use him as a decoy so that he escaped but he didn't have time to dwell on these thoughts before the men who had been chasing Cross grabbed him. Mere minutes later Allen found himself tied up and facing the group of men. "So you're Cross' apprentice huh? Then you can pay his debts. . ."

Allen was absolutely terrified and he turned and fled the scene as fast as his scrawny little legs would carry him. The ropes that the men had used to bind his arms were still wrapped around his little torso but the boy wasn't concerned with that right now.

All he wanted was to escape.

Owing to the fact that he was small Allen managed to hide from the group of men who were out to kill him and, after allowing enough time to pass, the young boy emerged from his hiding spot. He had long since escaped from the ropes that had been meant to hold him and now the only thought in his mind was finding his Master.

He couldn't believe that the man had actually abandoned him to face the wrath of those men alone.

"One of these days. . ." Allen muttered as he searched for any signs of his Master.

"There you are idiot apprentice," a voice called out, startling the boy. He slowly turned around to find Master Cross staring at him as though he had been the one to run away. That fact in and among its self was enough to irritate the boy and he almost forgot that yelling at Cross was a bad idea.

Almost.

"Do you have something you wanna say boy? Cross asked, his narrow eyed gaze focused on the kid as though daring him to say something. There was a gleam in his eye that hinted at the fact that he would enjoy knocking the brat around.

"No," Allen said quickly.

Cross arched a brow. "What was that boy?"

Allen tried again. "No. . . Master."

"That's better," Cross growled. "Now come on idiot apprentice. We're leaving. Now."

"But Master," Allen protested, having spent the entire night running from the men that his Master owed money to. He really wanted to sleep and even more than that he wanted to get something to eat. He was absolutely starving. "Why do we have to leave now?"

At that exact moment, as though in answer to the boy's question, the door of the inn flew open to reveal a very irate looking inn keeper. "Hey you! You haven't paid the bill for your room. Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Without even acknowledging the fact that the man had spoken Cross began to run in the opposite direction, leaving poor little Allen with no choice except to follow or be left behind once again. So Allen whirled around and ran, this time making sure to stay out of kicking range. He was still traumatized from last night and had absolutely no desire for a repeat performance.

"Is this how life is going to be from now on?" the boy thought to himself as he ran.

A/N - and there's yet another chapter of Allen and Cross' story, as told by the Musician. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	4. Debt

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Four - Debt

As the days passed and Allen became accustomed to the personality of his new Master several things became obvious about Cross Marian. The first was the fact that the man had an abrasive personality toward anyone who wasn't beautiful and female. The second was that Cross liked the finer things in life, good food and fine wine. And the third, which was the most important as far as Allen was concerned, was that he didn't like to pay for the finer things in life.

This last lesson had to be learned the hard way of course. As a matter of fact most things concerning his Master had to be learned the hard way, he was coming to realize. He had been sitting in the floor of a room that they were renting, making every effort to sink into the floor, when Master Cross had suddenly turned his attention toward him. "Idiot apprentice."

Allen had glanced up in acknowledgement of the fact that Cross had spoken. He wasn't particularly fond of answering to idiot apprentice but he knew that his Master would get angry if he chose to ignore him and that was far worse than the insult. "Yes Master?"

General Cross had glared down at the boy, peering at the kid over the rim of his little half glasses. There was a gleam in his one visible eye as he focused his attention on Allen for the first time that day. "We need some money to pay for this room so go out and find a job."

Allen's eyes had widened and for a moment he had hesitated, as though certain that his Master was joking. Later he would berate himself for having sought such a thing; he was well aware of the fact that Master Cross didn't have a sense of humor.

Narrowing his eye angrily Cross got to his feet and walked over to the spot where Allen was kneeling. For a brief moment the boy wondered what his Master was going to do but he didn't have to be curious about it for long. Leaning down Cross had seized him by the back of his shirt and, without hesitation, had walked over to the door and tossed him outside.

"You had better have some money when you return idiot apprentice," Cross had warned before slamming the door in his face.

That had been earlier in the morning and Allen was near exhausted from the job that he had found, carrying water for a group of miners. The bucket was heavy and Allen had to use both hands just to carry it. The task wasn't helped by the mitten that he wore to obscure the deformity of his left hand but Allen would rather suffer more and have to work harder than remove it. So far the people here accepted him and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that fragile acceptance.

Even though he was just a kid they had been kind enough to give him a job and his stated wages were fair if not a large amount. It was his job to go around to all of the workers so that they could get a drink if they wanted to without having to stop work long enough to go to the well.

This definately wasn't what he had expected when he had agreed to become Master Cross' apprentice and, not for the first time, the child began to wonder if he'd made a mistake by going with the man. He had yet to learn anything about being an Exorcist. The only things that Master Cross had taught him was what a foul tempered human being he was.

_"This is worse than my life before Mana," _the child thought to himself as he filled the bucket with cold water from the well. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow before hoisting the bucket and making his way back toward the workers. _"At least then I could just run away from the people who were causing me pain."_

Allen supposed that he could run away from Master Cross as well but then how would he keep the promise that he had made to Mana? The thoughts of Mana brought a stream of tears to the child's eyes and he thought for the first time that perhaps he deserved the suffering that he was enduring. Maybe this was a fitting punishment for someone who had sinned against God.

"Are you alright kid?" one of the workers asked, having noticed the tears that were flowing from the child's gray eyes.

Realizing that people had stopped their work to stare at him Allen nodded and, placing the bucket on the ground, wiped furiously at his eyes. Once all traces of the tears had been removed the boy picked up his bucket and offered the workers a wide smile.

This was Allen's first lesson on smiling through the pain.

In later years he would perfect the art of putting on a smile and acting happy even when on the inside his heart was breaking. He would practice diligently because he simply didn't like to see other people unhappy and would strive to make other people happy even when he himself was miserable. This was in his personality and it wasn't something that he really wanted to rid himself of. Having suffered more than anyone should ever have to Allen made it a point to keep other people from having to suffer. He wanted people to be happy and he wanted to help them stay that way if it was in his power to do so.

* * *

_"I can't believe that I actually thought he was joking,"_ Allen thought to himself in disgust as he slowly made his way back to the inn where he and Master Cross were staying. In his hand he clutched a small stack of bills, his wages for the work that he had done that day. He knew that it wouldn't be enough to satisfy Cross but what could he do? _"I knew that the jerk didn't have a sense of humor."_

A loud growling sound interrupted Allen's complaints and he stopped in his tracks and grabbed his stomach. He suddenly remembered that he hadn't had anything to eat since early that morning and he moaned as though in pain. "So hungry..."

The loud complaints of his stomach served to speed up Allen's progress back to the room and, before long, he arrived at the inn. The child made his way to the room that he was sharing with Master Cross and he opened the door a small degree before he was halted by high pitched laughter.

Allen froze; there was no way that such a noise had came from his Master.

"Idiot!" Cross yelled, walking over to the door and glarng down at the child. He had been enjoying Allen's absense and wasn't happy that the boy had returned at such an inoportune time. He was currently entertaining a very lovely brunette who was fascinated by the fact that he was a General and he wasn't pleased with the interuption.

Completely oblivious to his Master's displeasure Allen held up the small stack of bills.

Cross snatched the money from the child, quickly counted it, and then frowned. "Is this all you got?" The tone of his voice was accusatory, as though he thought that Allen was holding back. The little boy nodded and, after another glare to make sure that his apprentice was telling the truth, Cross abruptly slammed the door in his face.

"Master!" Allen whined pitifully.

"I'm busy right now so make yourself scarce," Cross ordered from inside the room.

"But I'm hungry," Allen complained loudly, his hunger over riding his sense of self preservation.

The door opened and the look on Cross' face promised that if Allen made so much as another sound he would kill him. And judging by the look on the man's face the death would be slow and painful. Allen cringed as his Master reached for something but he was pleasantly surprised when Cross tossed out a large loaf of bread. "There. Now go the hell away brat."

Timcanpy managed to escape the room while Cross had the door open and the little golem settled himself upon Allen's head. Clutching the loaf of bread to his chest as though afraid that his Master might try to take it back the little boy turned and began to walk away.

The door banged shut behind him and the voices of Cross and the woman resumed their laughter.

"I didn't even know he could laugh," Allen thought bitterly as he took a bite of the bread.

Allen had no idea where he was expected to go while his Master entertained the woman so he just wandered around aimlessly for awhile. He and Cross had arrived in this town the day before so he spent some time getting to know the area since Master Cross had hinted that they might spend some time there. The boy didn't know how much time the man meant but decided that he would know when it was time to leave when Cross told him that it was. Until then it wouldn't hurt to know where things were.

A/N - And Allen got his first taste of paying off General Cross' debts in this chapter. Poor kid, I'm amazed that he turned out as nice as he did. Mana must have done something right. Something that not even Cross could undo. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Allen: Agh, the horror! I'm scarred for life!  
Cross: Shut up, idiot apprentice. And what are you even doing here?  
Allen: Huh?  
Cross: You have debts to pay. You should be out working, not here running your mouth.  
Allen: 'Falls to the floor and lies in the fetal position, twitching.'  
Cross: 'Kicks at the kid with the toe of his boot' Are you dead?


	5. The Coat

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Five - The Coat

Over time Allen had began to notice that his Master attracted a great deal of attention no matter where he went and the child couldn't help but think that the flashy way he chose to dress had something to do with this. The constant stream of people gawking made Allen vastly uncomfortable but as always Cross seemed completely at ease with the attention.

Even seemed to enjoy it to a certain extent.

"Master," the little boy said as he followed his Master down the sidewalk. He was being forced to jog in order to keep up with the man's strides and yet, despite this fact, he could still see the stares that his Master was receiving. Could still hear the comments that people, mostly women, were making as the two of them walked by. "I don't understand. Why do you have that coat, you're attracting a lot of attention?"

"Idiot apprentice," Cross snapped, sparing the boy a glance as he continued walking. He was desperate to get his hands on some liquor and at this point he didn't even care what kind. Sure he would prefer if it was something good but the approaching sobriety made it less important. "Because I'm different than you, you idiot."

Allen was confused by the man's words and all he could do was stare up at the man.

Ignoring the look of confusion on the boy's face Cross once again turned away from the brat. His idiot apprentice didn't even seem to know that he was different from other Exorcists but he would come to realize this fact before long.

He had the feeling that there were Akuma lurking somewhere near this town and he was determined to find them. He hadn't seen any action in a long time and sometimes a man just craved the action of a fight. Normally he preferred a pleasant evening spent with a beautiful woman but today was one of the rare days when he was actually looking for a fight.

Cross spent the day surveying the town, with Allen tagging along at his heels. The General couldn't suppress his laughter when he gazed down at the exhausted child. The brat was so short that he was forced to run in order to keep up with Cross' normal walking pace and the general had to admit that he found this somewhat amusing. Any other man would likely have felt bad for the child but not Cross.

By the time that darkness had descended upon the town that they were traveling thought Allen and General Cross had made their way to a small dock. For his part the child was happy that they had finally escaped all of those prying eyes but this feeling of happiness was short lived. He felt a strange sensation in his left eye and placed his hand over it as though that would somehow help.

Cross noticed the motion and was immediately on the alert. Mere seconds passed before master and apprentice were completely surrounded by a large group of transformed Akuma. Cautiously Allen moved his hand away from his eye and gazed up at the things that were floating above them.

His eyes widened as his gaze fell upon...

"Eww gross!" the child exclaimed as he noticed that each of the Akuma had something sticking out of the side of it. Afraid of what he was seeing he took a couple of steps backward, toward the spot where his Master was standing. The things that coming out of the Akuma looked like a twisted cross between a person and a skeleton but above all else it was hideous. Allen's hand went to his mouth.

"What you're seeing is the soul that's trapped inside the Akuma," Cross stated in a casual tone. He knew that the boy had been cursed by his foster father and had deduced the nature of the curse by the boy's reaction to the Akuma, the first that he had seen aside from the one he had created.

Upon hearing this from his Master the young boy forced himself to take a second look and this time he noticed that the twisted skeleton people looked as though they were crying. He felt bad because they were in pain but this wasn't the time to dwell on that fact.

They were surrounded.

"Master," the boy said, fear evident in his voice as he gazed around at the group of Akuma. "This is exactly what I was afraid of earlier. Now we're surrounded and it's because of that coat."

Cross casually stepped away from his young apprentice, completely unafraid of the large group of Akuma that had gathered in the hopes of killing an Exorcist General. There was even a small smirk on his face as he prepared to rid the world of these Akuma. "What's the problem?"

The Akuma all raised their guns and pointed them at the red haired man who stood squarely in the middle of them.

Allen gasped, his eyes growing wide, as the Akuma began to fire.

With lightening quick reflexes Cross drew the gun from the holster that he wore strapped to his thigh. With an evil smirk he pulled out Judgment and pointed the gun at the nearest Akuma. They were making an attempt to shoot him with their own guns but it was pitiful and Cross had the fleeting thought that this really wasn't a fair fight. The Akuma really should have brought along a level three or at the very least a level two.

Allen watched, a shocked expression on his face, as one by one the Akuma exploded. This was the first time that he had ever seen his Master fight, the first time that they had encountered Akuma since the boy became his apprentice, and despite himself Allen was somewhat impressed.

It took the man less than five minutes to deal with a group of Akuma that had numbered in the double digits. Allen dropped to his knees, as though he had been the one who had fought the Akuma, and fought to catch his breath.

Cross on the other hand turned to gaze out at the water, sheathing Judgment as he did so. The general casually pulled out a cigarette and lit the end. Timcanpy had flown off at the beginning of the battle however now that the danger had passed the golem resumed his perch on Cross' hat. Cross didn't even bother looking at the brat who was kneeling on the ground as he spoke. "I don't see any point in trying to hide from your enemy when your enemy is invisible. This coat is a target and by wearing it I can suspect anyone who approaches me."

Allen gazed up at his Master, still confused.

Placing the end of the cigarette in his mouth Cross took a long drag before he spoke again. "You must be prepared to make yourself a target in order to protect the humans around you. Are you capable of handling that, Allen?"

The young boy's eyes flew to his Master. This was the first time that Cross had actually used his first name and Allen found himself immediately on the alert.

"Sometimes I wonder if you even have that fear," General Cross said absently.

Allen had absolutely no idea what his Master was talking about but he pushed himself up from the ground and came to stand beside the man. Together master and apprentice gazed out on the water, completely ignoring the scene of utter destruction that littered the ground behind them.

Allen didn't know how long they stood there, just gazing out at the water, but after awhile his Master spoke again. "Well, we should probably find somewhere to stay for the night. You need to get some sleep if you're going to go out and find a job tomorrow."

This was the first that Allen had heard about him finding a job but after a little thought he realized that he really should have seen it coming. Cross had the uncanny knack of spending more money than he had and Allen was usually left to pick up the extra.

It was infuriating but what could he do?

One glance up at the red haired man was enough to answer that question for him. Absolutely nothing, that's what he could do. He could get a job and earn some money or he could refuse and take his chances. The child laughed darkly as he thought about his options.

It was no contest.

Tomorrow he would find a job.

A/N - I took a liberty here and used this scene as the first time that Allen saw an Akuma other than Mana. Sorry but I wanted to write about Allen's reaction and this seemed like as good a place as any to do it. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

Allen: Just so you guys know, the souls of Akuma are really gross looking.  
Cross: It's your own fault for being able to see them.  
Allen: Shut up.  
Cross: 'Pulls out Judgment' You wanna say that again brat?  
Allen: 'Stares at the gun with wide eyes' No... Master...


	6. Abandoned

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Six - Abandoned

Allen had finished yet another grueling day's work and he stood patiently at the end of the line of men who were awaiting their pay. A bead of sweat had formed on his forehead and the child absently rubbed at his head with the mitten that he wore on his left hand. It was filthy and he knew that it would more than likely leave a line of dirt across his head but that was the least of his worries at the moment. He'd take a nice bath when he returned to the room but until then he had to keep the sweat from running into his eyes.

He was completely exhausted from the day's labor and was looking forward to going to be after he bathed. He only hoped that Master Cross allowed him into the room so that he could actually sleep in a bed. He was getting tired of sleeping out in the hallway because Master Cross was entertaining the ladies as he called it. Allen himself called it something completely different but never loud enough for his Master to hear.

He had been with Master Cross long enough to know how the red haired Exorcist would react to hearing these comments and his self preservation instinct was too high for him to do that. His life wasn't the greatest in the world by any stretch of the imagination but never the less he wasn't prepared to die just yet.

"Here you go kid," the gruff looking foreman said as he handed Allen a couple of bills.

The child hadn't even realized that he'd made it to the front of the line until the man spoke and, with a quickly muttered apology he took the money that the man was offering.

"Thank you very much sir," the young boy said in his soft edged voice. Allen quickly placed his wages in the pocket of his trousers and offered the man a grateful smile. It wasn't enough to cover his Master's debts, not by a long shot, but it was a start and the man had been more than fair with him.

The foreman had been reluctant to hire such a young boy but was glad that he had after he saw what a hard worker Allen really was. This young boy had gotten done more work than some of his adult employees and complained about it less as well. The foreman was pleased by this and he had even given the boy a little extra than he had promised because the child had worked so hard. "You did a good job."

Allen nodded his head politely to the man and then turned to leave, anxious to return to the small inn where he and Master Cross had spent the last week. He was starving and was really looking forward to getting something to eat. Lost in thought about food Allen absently pulled the folded bills from his pocket and counted them. He paused as he realized that the man had given him more than he had promised.

Was it a mistake?

Coming to a stop in the middle of the street Allen gazed down at the money that he held in his hand. The child briefly debated returning to the mill and seeing if the foreman had really meant to give him so much or if it had merely been a mistake. He wanted to keep the extra money, and hide it from his Master, but that wouldn't be the right thing to do. So with a sigh Allen turned around and quickly made his way back to the mill, hoping to catch the foreman before he left for the night.

The man was locking the door when Allen arrived and the young boy paused for a moment, to catch his breath.

As the foreman turned around, prepared to go home for the night and see his family, he was surprised to see the young white haired boy standing in the yard. The child seemed out of breath and the foreman wondered why he had came back. He couldn't recall the boy having anything with him when he'd arrived to work that morning but perhaps he had merely overlooked it. "Did you forget something kid?"

"No sir," Allen said as he straightened up and walked over to the man. He pulled the bills from his pocket and offered a couple to the man. "I think you miscounted. You gave me more than we agreed upon."

For a moment the foreman was stunned. This had been the last thing that he had expected to happen and he was at a loss for words. He hadn't thought anything about mentioning to the kid that he'd given him a little extra and as a result the child seemed to think that it had been a mistake. And he had actually returned to give back the extra money. Such honesty was rare, especially for one so young. He offered the strange young boy a smile. "It wasn't a mistake lad. You did such a good job that I thought you deserved a little extra."

"Oh," was all that Allen could say.

Smiling at the boy's shock the foreman reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of coins. "And I think that your honesty deserves a little reward as well." With a little chuckle he took the boy's hand in his and pressed the coins into his palm, enjoying the shock that appeared in the boy's gray eyes.

"Um... thank you..." Allen managed after a moment.

"You're welcome lad," the foreman said. "Now you should run along home before your folks start to worry about you."

Allen secretly knew that Master Cross wouldn't worry about him even if he were gone for a month but he didn't tell the foreman this. He merely nodded, bowed again to the man, and left the mill once again. A small smile appeared on his face as he thought about the man's kindness. He wasn't used to that from people and it always surprised him when someone was nice. These thoughts soon changed to other, more important matters however. It was getting late and Allen's stomach growled loudly, in protest of the long absence of food.

The boy briefly thought about buying something to eat with the money that he had earned but then decided against that thought. If Master Cross found out that he had spent his earnings on himself then he would be furious and, since Allen had difficulty dealing with him under normal circumstances, he really didn't want to see furious.

Allen shuddered involuntarily at the thought. "I really don't wanna see that side of him... ever... again."

And so the child obediently made his way to the inn where he and Master Cross were saying. Needless to say the door of the room was locked but this wasn't really a problem. Allen had gotten fairly good at picking locks, the only thing was he had to be careful when he used this skill.

It had taken days to recover from the last experience.

Pressing his ear against the door Allen listened intently for a few minutes. During that time there wasn't so much as a sound inside the room so the child decided that it was safe to enter. Pulling a small tool from his pocket he quickly picked the lock and entered the darkened room. Allen stumbled around in the darkness until he bumped into the table and then he somehow managed to light the gas lamp without being able to see it.

When the small light illuminated the equally small room Allen gazed around and saw that the place was completely empty. There was no sign of his Master and, more disturbing, there was no sign of his Master's belongings.

Allen began to shake involuntarily.

His Master had abandoned him.

Allen felt tears form in his gray eyes but he steadfastly refused to allow them to fall. He would NOT cry, not over something like this. After all, he'd known all along that Master Cross didn't like him so why was he surprised that the man had ditched him? Clenching his hands into fists the child walked toward the bed and that's when he spied the piece of paper that had been placed upon the pillow. Curious Allen picked up the piece of paper and then made his way back over to the table so that he could use the lamp's light to read the writing upon it.

_Idiot apprentice,  
__I've moved on to the next town and I'll wait there for you to join me. But if you take too long then you're on your own because I have things to do.  
__Cross Marian  
__P.S. You'll need to pay the bill for the room before you depart._

"Why you..." Allen muttered as he crumpled up the paper in his small hand. He wasn't really shocked that his Master had left him with the bill but he was somewhat surprised that the man had actually left him to fend for himself. "One of these days..."

Sitting down at the small table Allen pulled out the money that he had managed to save in the past couple of days, having lied to Cross about how much he had been paid, and to his horror he discovered that he had just enough to pay for the room. Had Master Cross known that he had been holding out on him? Was this his way of getting the money that Allen had kept?

"It's not fair," Allen muttered to himself.

* * *

The next morning Allen packed his meager belonging, paid the bill for the room, and then left the small town. There was only one road leading away from the town so Allen knew that was the road that he was supposed to take. What he didn't know was exactly how far away the next town was.

His stomach growled and Allen pulled out the small breakfast that the innkeeper's wife had been kind enough to give him. It wasn't much but the young boy was grateful for it as he took a bite and continued walking. Keep moving forward, never stop. Allen repeated this mantra to himself as he traveled down the dusty road in pursuit of the Master who had left him.

It took several hours but Allen finally managed to make it to the next small town and, with a little effort, he tracked down the inn where his Master was currently staying. When he reached the room that he had been directed to Allen listened at the door and he heard the voice of his Master as well as that of a woman.

"Great," the boy thought to himself as he sank to the ground outside the room. His Master had 'company' which meant that he would be seriously angry if Allen disturbed him. With a sigh the white haired child leaned against the wall to wait.

"One of these days...." he vowed again.

TBC....

Cross: So what exactly is going to happen one of these days idiot apprentice?  
Allen: 'stiffens and gazes warily at his Master' Um nothing.  
Cross: 'Chuckles darkly' Damn right nothing.  
The Musician: Someone really should do something about that guy.  
Cross: Who asked you anyway?  
Allen: What are you even doing here?  
The Musician: 'Laughs maniacally'


	7. Kitty

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Seven - Kitty

Exhausted after yet another long day of working to pay off Master Cross' debts Allen was slowly making his way back to the small inn where he and his Master were staying. He only hoped that this time he would actually find his Master there. The young boy was still traumatized over what had happened a couple of days ago and was fairly certain that he couldn't go through anything like that again.

At least not any time soon.

As the boy made his way down the abandoned street he heard a strange noise coming from within the alley way that he was passing. Curious Allen walked over to the alley and then paused to listen. He heard the noise again and it was louder this time. Allen stepped inside the alley and walked over to a pile of boxes that were piled in the corner. This seemed like the most likely place for the noise to have originated and, pushing the cardboard aside, Allen gazed down and saw a little calico cat.

Gazing up at the child with pale blue eyes the kitten issued forth a plaintive meow.

Allen knelt down and pulled the kitten into his arms, marveling at how soft it was. And yet at the same time he was horrified at the fact that the little creature was all skin and bones. _"Someone must have abandoned it,"_ Allen thought to himself as he rose to a standing position.

Without even thinking about the consequences of his actions Allen wrapped the kitten in the tail of his shirt and continued on his way toward the inn where he and Master Cross were staying. When Allen reached their room he tentatively reached out and checked the doorknob. For once the door was actually unlocked and Allen stepped inside the room, keeping quiet in case Master Cross was sleeping, had a hangover, or both.

"Idiot apprentice!"

Allen turned toward the sound and saw that his Master was seated at the little table that was positioned by the window and was gazing at him intently. As always the red haired man held a glass of wine in his hand. "Yes Master?"

"What is THAT?" Cross pointed his finger and Allen instinctively gazed down.

"Um... it's a kitten..." Allen told his Master in a quiet voice.

"I can see that idiot," Cross snapped, his eye narrowing as he glared at the brat. "Why is it here?"

"It was abandoned," Allen said in defense of his actions. "Did you expect me to just leave it out there?"

"That's exactly what I would have expected you to do," Cross snarled as he got to his feet and walked across the room toward the spot where his idiot apprentice was standing. He glared at the boy however for once Allen stood his ground and did not cower away from his Master.

What he did do was shield the poor little kitten from the verbal attack that was imminent by wrapping the little thing up in the tail of his shirt.

"You're going to take it back right now," Cross ordered.

"No," Allen said, a hint of defiance in his smoky gray eyes. He knew that the kitten was starving since he could count every single one of the poor little thing's ribs and he absolutely refused to take it back to the alley to die.

"WHAT did you just say to me idiot apprentice?"

Any other time the look on Cross' face would have made Allen do what ever he had been told to do as fast as was humanly possible but this time was different. Having been abandoned himself as a child he absolutely refused to do the same thing to the kitten that he had found. The boy didn't care what Master Cross said or did, he was not going to take the cat back.

"I said no," Allen repeated, surprising both Cross and, to some extent, himself.

Cross made a move to seize the cat that Allen was hiding in his shirt but for once the child proved to be too quick for him. Allen dodged out of the way and scurried across the room, out of reach of his furious Master. The General briefly debated giving chase, knowing that he could catch the boy, but decided against it. He was tired and sober and as a result not in the best of moods.

Growling low in his throat Cross sat back down at the table and grabbed a cigarette.

Knowing that he would suffer for his disobedience later but not really caring at the moment Allen tossed his earnings on the table and then made his way toward the door. Cross grabbed the money that the brat had tossed to him. "Where are you going?"

"To get something to eat," Allen replied, silently adding, _"For me and the kitten."_

"Whatever," Cross said, waving his hand dismissively. He had by no means forgotten about the boy's insolence, nor forgiven him for it, but was merely waiting until later to punish the boy for it. Besides, there was a lovely lady coming by in about ten minutes and he needed for the brat to be somewhere else.

Allen should have been suspicious about his Master's behavior but he wasn't. Which would come back to haunt him later on.

Allen left the room once again and then made his way down the street, looking for somewhere that he could grab something to eat. He had managed to keep a little money hidden from Master Cross, an amazing feat that he wasn't certain how he had managed to pull off, and was fairly certain that he could afford to buy something for himself as well as some milk for the kitten.

"And as long as Master doesn't find out," Allen muttered, shivering as he thought about what Cross would do to him if he ever found out that Allen had been holding out on him.

"Meow..."

Once both Allen and the kitten had gotten something into their empty stomachs they made their way back to the room where Allen had left his Master sitting at the table. The boy was half afraid to go back in the room but knew that putting it off wouldn't really make things any better for him. So, after taking a deep breath to settle his nerves, the boy grabbed the doorknob and turned it.

The door swung open to reveal a darkened and seemingly empty room. Gazing around Allen saw that the only one currently in the room was Timcanpy, who was hovering over the table where his Master had been sitting when he had left with the kitten. "Hey Timcanpy," the boy called out as he entered the room, much happier now that he knew that his Master wasn't around.

Allen wasn't worried about his Master having abandoned him again, since Timcanpy was there. He knew that Master Cross would never leave the little golem behind which meant that he was probably out somewhere getting drunk or chasing after women.

With a broad smile on his face Allen placed the kitten down on the floor and then sat down at the table. Pulling a deck of western playing cards from the pocket of his trousers the boy began to spread them out on the table. His left hand was becoming much more flexible since he practiced with the cards every night and Allen was determined to do this until it functioned like any normal hand.

Left to his own devices the kitten began to explore.

* * *

Allen awoke early the next morning to the sounds of Master Cross snoring in the bed that was located across the room from him. The boy had no idea what time his Master had returned, having already retired for the night by this time, but he was hoping that Master Cross had gotten drunk enough to forget about the argument that they'd had the night before.

Not that he really expected this to happen since his luck had never been good but hey, he could hope.

Climbing out of bed Allen searched around the room for any signs of the cat but unfortunately his search proved fruitless. There was no sign of the cat anywhere and, with a sigh, the young boy began to look under things for the kitten.

Still there was no sign of him.

And what was worse, Allen couldn't find the little golden golem either. Maybe his Master had done something with Timcanpy when he had gotten home or something like that. Sometimes, when the golem got on his nerves, Master Cross locked the little creature in his suitcase.

"Um... Master..." Allen said timidly, calling out from the other side of the room. His Master never liked to be disturbed when sleeping, which Allen knew, but he really needed to find out if Cross knew where Timcanpy was, so he didn't have any choice.

If Cross heard the boy he didn't acknowledge the fact that he had spoken so Allen tried again, slightly louder this time. "M... Master..."

"What!?" Cross snarled, still not bothering to roll over and look at the boy.

Allen jumped at the harshness of his Master's voice but pressed on anyway. "H... have you seen Timcanpy?"

"No!" Cross snapped, beginning to grow annoyed with his idiot apprentice.

Allen was beginning to get a bad feeling about the situation and he gulped around the lump that had formed in his throat. "H... how about... the kitten?"

"Damn it idiot apprentice," Cross growled, finally flinging off the blanket and sitting up.

"I'm sorry," Allen squeaked, his eyes widening. "But I can't find... Timcanpy or the cat."

Cross gazed around the room and finally spied the annoying little ball of fluff perched on top of an empty bookshelf. "There's your damn cat," Cross growled, pointing at the creature with his index finger.

Allen's gaze shifted toward the cat and his heart began to race as he spied a very familiar piece of gold sticking out of the corner of the cat's mouth. It was Timcanpy's tail and it was the only part of the little golem that was visible.

The kitten had eaten Timcanpy!

Allen paled as he realized this fact. His gaze shifted back to Master Cross and it was obvious that the red haired Exorcist hadn't noticed the little piece of gold that was sticking out of the kitten's mouth. He didn't look completely awake yet so that wasn't really all that surprising. "Crap!" the kid exclaimed.

"Shut up idiot apprentice!" Cross barked, rubbing the sides of his head as though he had a tremendous headache. Which knowing Cross was highly possible.

_"Oh man," _Allen thought to himself as he walked over to the bookcase, slowly so that he didn't startle the kitten. He had to rescue Timcanpy before the kitten really ate him. Master Cross was already mad and this would not help the situation. Besides Timcanpy was his only friend. "Here kitty, kitty..."

The kitten gazed at Allen through pale blue eyes, not moving from his spot. Allen sighed, having expected as much. He knew that he would have to climb up to the top of the bookshelf and get the cat before something bad, okay something worse, happened to Tim.

"It's okay kitty..." Allen said in a soft voice as he began to climb on the large wooden bookcase. He briefly hoped that it would support his weight but knew that he had to press on. His Master would kill him if he allowed anything to happen to Timcanpy. "I'm just gonna come up and see you so don't move."

From his position on the bed Cross watched as his idiot apprentice began to climb on the furniture. His first impulse was to throw something at the kid but then he noticed a flash of gold. Struggling to focus he realized what the flash of gold had been and then he realized what it meant.

That damn cat had eaten Timcanpy!

"Idiot apprentice!" he barked, startling the boy and nearly causing him to fall.

"Yes Master?" Allen said, his gaze still resolutely focused on the cat.

"If you don't get Tim back from that little beast I'll..."

Cross didn't finish the threat, leaving Allen to wonder exactly what would happen to him if he failed to retrieve the golem from the kitten. The boy swallowed around the lump in his throat before whispering, in a choked voice, "Yes Master."

TBC...

The Musician: The cat ate Timcanpy!  
Allen: I don't believe this... After everything I did for it.  
Cross: You'd better get him back or else.  
Allen: AH! I DON'T WANNA DIE!


	8. Rescue Tim!

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Eight - Rescue Tim!

Allen's heart began to pound as he climbed toward the top of the bookcase, where the kitten was curled up with Timcanpy in it's mouth, and it had nothing to do with the height. It was actually caused by his irate Master, who was glaring at him and muttering promises of severe bodily harm should anything happen to the golem that the cat currently held in it's jaws.

_"Why?" _Allen silently asked himself as he made his way toward the kitten. He was going slow, both to maintain his hold on the bookcase and so as not to scare the kitten, so he had plenty of time to imagine the fate that Master Cross had in store for him. _"Why do things like this always happen to me?"_

Having moved over to the small table Cross was watching as his idiot apprentice climbed the furniture toward the furry little terror that he had insisted upon keeping yesterday. "Hah, I bet he's regretting his attitude now. But not as much as he's going to..."

When Allen reached the top of the bookcase, which hadn't taken long and yet still felt like an eternity, he reached out a shaking hand toward the kitten. The little ball of fur merely gazed at him through half open blue eyes and Allen easily placed his hand on it. Unfortunately he hadn't taken into account that any unexpected movement would cause him to lose his balance and when his hand closed on the kitten the little creature decided to take the opportunity to escape.

Allen's hand instinctively closed on the skin of the kitten's neck, which he knew would make it more cooperative, but this movement caused him to lose his balance. And unfortunately without the use of the hand which was clutching the cat the boy had no way to prevent his fall and he toppled backward.

Cross watched, an amused smirk on his face, as his idiot apprentice fell from the bookcase. The brat landed on his behind, hard, and Cross roared with laughter. This was the funniest thing that he had seen in quite some time and he was almost glad that the brat had brought home that stray. Neither Allen nor the cat were the slightest bit amused by the incident and both of them cast murderous gazes toward the red haired man.

Ignoring the pain from his fall Allen quickly pried open the kitten's mouth, freeing a rather disgruntled Timcanpy. The little golem circled around Allen's head a couple of times before opening his mouth, which was disproportionate to the rest of his body. Unsure of what was going on Allen didn't react and the golem sank pointy little fangs into the flesh of the boy's ear.

"Ow!" Allen howled as he batted at the little golem.

The kitten, who wasn't any happier than the little golden creature that it had tried to devour, took this opportunity to sink it's little teeth into the flesh between Allen's thumb and forefinger. The little boy cried out yet again, pulling his hand free from the cat's mouth.

"Why?" he screamed.

Cross continued to laugh, enjoying this show. He had taken a couple of aspirin and his headache was beginning to subside which meant that he felt well enough to enjoy the sight of his idiot apprentice's suffering. "So are you still glad that you didn't take that flea bag back where you found it?" he asked the boy in a taunting voice.

"Yes," Allen said without hesitation. Getting to his feet the boy picked up the kitten, who looked just as disgruntled as Timcanpy. Then, kitten in hand, he began walking toward the door.

"Now where the hell are you going idiot apprentice?"

"I'm going to find someone who wants a cat," Allen replied as he pulled the door open.

And with these parting words Allen left the room, still clutching the irritated little kitten to his chest. He knew that he couldn't keep the cat, had known this the entire time, but after the incident with Timcanpy he was more than ready to find it a new home.

Hopefully someone in this town would be willing to adopt the furry little troublemaker. After all Allen didn't even want to think about what Master Cross would do to him if he were to return with the kitten. He had the feeling he was already in enough trouble without adding to it.

* * *

After a couple of hours of searching Allen finally found a little old woman who was more than happy to take the kitten in. She lived by herself and told the white haired child that she would be grateful for the company. Allen bowed to the woman politely. "Thank you very much."

"Thank you," the woman said, offering Allen a smile.

Allen returned the smile and then walked away, leaving his little foundling in the care of the kind old lady. It was noon by this time and although Allen desperately wanted to go back to the inn and get something to eat he knew that he couldn't. He'd wasted several hours looking for a home for the kitten and he knew that if he didn't bring some money with him when he returned to the inn then Master Cross would be angry.

Thinking back to the incident the day before as well as the one this morning with Timcanpy Allen changed his thoughts. If he didn't come back with some money then Master Cross was going to be even madder. "I'm gonna die," Allen thought to himself dejectedly.

Allen managed to find a job chopping wood for a local man and when he finally returned to the inn he had some money to give to his Master. He was exhausted by this point but he wanted something to eat far more than he wanted to sleep. He hadn't eaten anything all day and felt as though he were on the verge of starvation.

"So... hungry..." he moaned as he made his way back to the room where he and his Master were staying.

Reaching for the doorknob Allen found that it was once again unlocked. Bracing himself for his Master's anger the young boy stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind himself. He quickly gazed around the quiet room and saw that Master Cross was lying across one of the beds apparently sound asleep. Timcanpy flew over and landed on the child's head, having apparently forgiven him for the incident with the kitten and Allen smiled. This wasn't the homecoming that he had expected but he was happily surprised by it.

Some bread and fruit had been left on the table and Allen sat down and ate happily. Aside from the two bite wounds that he had suffered this day hadn't been terrible and Allen smiled as he ate his meager supper. Perhaps Master Cross would forget about the fight that they'd had and he would escape the red haired man's wrath.

Unfortunately that was just asking for too much. Cross awoke from his nap to find his idiot apprentice practising some kind of card game at the table and, without so much as a word to the boy, the Exorcist got to his feet. He quietly walked across the room and when he reached the boy Allen gazed up at him with a questioning look in his gray eyes.

Grabbing the kid by the collar of his shirt Cross pulled him up so that the two of them were at eye level. "If you EVER disobey an order that I give you again I promise you that you will regret it for the rest of your miserable life. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Master," Allen managed to choke out.

"Good," Cross said, unceremoniously dropping the kid back into his chair. Then, without so much as another word to his young charge, Cross grabbed a bottle of wine and a wine glass. After yelling at his apprentice he needed a drink.

As he poured himself a glass of wine Cross thought about the look that had appeared in Allen's eyes as he refused to abandon the cat. It seemed that his idiot apprentice had a thing for protecting the weak. _"That's going to get him into trouble," _Cross thought to himself, sipping his wine.

Allen: I can't believe I survived that.  
Cross: I can remedy that for you.  
Allen: 'backs away from Cross' No, that's okay Master.  
Cross: 'reaches into his pocket'  
Allen: Wait... what are you doing with that hammer?


	9. You're Not My Master

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Nine - You're Not My Master

The sun was beginning to rise above the mountains and, as the sun spilled through the window of the room where he and his idiot apprentice were staying, Cross groaned in annoyance. The brat should have had enough sense to close the curtains the night before and the Exorcist General was irritated that his sleep had been disturbed by the blinding light.

The only saving grace was that he wasn't waking up with a hangover.

That would have proven lethal to the white haired brat who was sleeping in a bed on the other side of the room. Cross narrowed his one uncovered eye as he registered the fact that the sunlight hadn't reached that side of the room yet and, getting to his feet, he stalked across the room. A somewhat sadistic gleam appeared in his red eye as Cross reached down and grabbed the brat by the collar of his shirt.

He had been the one to forget to close the curtains so he should be the one to suffer for it.

With this thought in mind Cross heaved the child up and casually tossed him across the room to the bed that he had just vacated. Then, without so much as a glance to the kid, Cross collapsed upon the bed that was still in the shadows and resumed his slumber.

So intent was he to go back to bed that Cross didn't even notice that the white haired child whom he had flung across the room hadn't moved after hitting the other bed. Timcanpy, on the other hand, seemed to realize that all was not right with the world, and he fluttered over and landed beside the child's head. The little golem reached out toward Allen with one golden wing and yet the child still didn't move.

Timcanpy curled up beside Allen's face, curling himself into a ball and reaching out to gently touch the child's face with one little wing.

* * *

When Cross awoke several hours later it was to find that the white haired brat that he called apprentice still hadn't moved from the bed where he had tossed him. Timcanpy was curled up beside the boy and neither was moving. Now this annoyed Cross since it meant that the kid wasn't out earning money and, getting to his feet, he walked over to the bed.

"Idiot apprentice!" he snapped, an irritated tone in his voice.

Groaning Allen forced his eyes open and slowly rolled over and gazed up at the blurry figure that was standing over him. The child felt as though he had run a marathon, every part of his body hurt, and for some reason he couldn't seem to focus his eyes normally. Fighting to keep his lead weighted eyes open he squinted at the form that he was certain was his master.

Cross cursed foully as he saw that the brat's face was flushed and his gray eyes were fever bright.

"What the hell have you done?" Cross snapped, shaking his head in irritation. Having always avoided even being in the same room with a child he had no idea what to do with a sick one. Damn the little brat for forcing this upon him.

"Huh?" Allen had no idea what his master was so irritated about and he didn't really have the energy to find out. He vaguely wished that Cross would yell at him, hit him if he must, and then go away so that he could go back to sleep.

For his part Timcanpy fluttered into the air and flew over to Cross. The little golem bumped against Cross' head a couple of times before landing back on the bed beside Allen.

"Ugh." Utterly disgusted with the brat Cross walked away from the bed where the child was lying. Making his way over to the small table that was positioned at one end of the room the general grabbed a wine glass and poured himself a drink. Cross quickly drained the glass and then grabbed another glass from the small cabinet, filling this one with cold water.

Then, once he had the glass of water in hand, Cross walked back over to the bed where Allen was lying in a semi-conscious state. The boy's eyes had a glassy shine to them and he seemed to only vaguely register the fact that Cross had sat down on the bed beside of him.

Making plans to torture the boy later for forcing him to act this way Cross helped the child to sit up and then held the glass of water to his lips. At first Allen pulled away from the glass that his master was holding however Cross persisted, practically forcing the boy to drink.

His justification for his actions being that it would look bad if he allowed his apprentice to die.

"Drink it brat," Cross barked, still holding the glass to Allen's lips. "If you die while you're with me then it sure as hell better be at the hands of an Akuma."

Through the haze caused by the fever Allen realized that he didn't have a choice in the matter so he relented and drank the water that Cross was forcing upon him. The cool liquid served to bring back some of his awareness and Allen's fever bright eyes grew wide.

"Who... who are you?" he asked, pulling away from Cross and retreating to the other end of the bed.

"What the hell are you going on about?" Cross demanded, glaring at the brat. "You know damn good and well who I am."

"No," Allen said, shaking his head. The white haired youth was gazing at Cross as though trying to figure out where he had came from. "I don't know who you are... but I know... you're not my master."

"Idiot apprentice," Cross snapped, getting up and making his way back over to the table where he had left his bottle of wine. He'd had enough; if the brat decided to just lay there and die then that was just fine by him. Sitting down at the table he poured himself another glass of wine, this time taking the time to appreciate it.

Seeming to have exhausted what little strength that he possessed Allen collapsed and Timcanpy once again nudged at his face with one little wing. And when this failed to gain results the golem moved on to Cross. Flying across the room to the table where Cross was sitting the golem nudged at his master's head.

Cross ignored him.

Having gotten nowhere with the gentle nudges Timcanpy increased the force. Flying around Cross' head a few times to build up some speed the little golem crashed into the man's head with all the force that he could muster.

Still Cross ignored him.

Timcanpy flew back across the room and made one more effort to gain Allen's attention and when the boy didn't acknowledge him this time the golem once again returned to Cross. And this time the little creature opened up his mouth and clamped down on the flesh of Cross' ear.

"Damn it all to hell!" Cross screamed as he swatted at the little golem.

Timcanpy dodged the attack and once again flew over and landed beside Allen. Growling death threats under his breath Cross walked over to his suitcase, opened it, and began to rummage around inside. Then, once he had found what he had been looking for, the man once again filled a glass with cold water. Holding up the little paper packet that he had retrieved from his suitcase, Cross ripped the top and poured it's contents into the glass. Cross swirled the water around a couple of times, until the powder had dissolved, and then the irritated general walked back over to the bed where his idiot apprentice was sleeping.

"Wake up," he barked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Allen once again forced his eyes to open and he gazed up at his master suspiciously. It seemed that the boy was still convinced that he was someone else impersonating Cross and for some unknown reason this irritated the general.

Hell, everything about the brat irritated him.

"Drink this," he ordered, holding out the glass of water.

"No," Allen said, his voice weak and yet at the same time determined.

"Idiot apprentice," Cross snarled, pulling the boy into a partially upright position. "I swear, by all that is holy, if you don't drink this then I will personally make your life so miserable that you're going to wish that you were dead."

Then, after issuing the threat, Cross once again offered the glass to the boy and this time Allen took it. The boy's hands were somewhat shaky but he managed to lift the glass to his lips. One taste was all that was necessary to make him rethink his decision to drink the contents however. Making a face the boy began to lower the glass but paused as Cross shot him a death glare.

"I said drink it."

Briefly Allen debated which would be worse and finally decided that, even if the contents of the glass were poisoned, it would still be better than facing the wrath of the man who was sitting beside him. Reaching up Allen pinched his nose and then quickly drained the glass.

The boy's vision immediately blurred and his last thought before losing consciousness was that the bastard had poisoned him. Perhaps he really had been Master Cross after all.

* * *

Allen awoke the next morning feeling much better than he had the day before and as he opened his eyes he saw that General Cross was sitting in a chair beside his bed, sound asleep. The boy's eyes widened as he gazed at this somewhat frightening sight.

Had the man been there all night?

"Who is this guy?" Allen wondered as he absently touched one of Timcanpy's little wings. "Cause I know he isn't Master Cross."

A/N - the end of another chapter, hope you enjoyed. As always reviews are greatly appreciated.

Cross: What the hell was that?  
The Musician: That was your caring side.  
Cross: I don't have one.  
Allen: He really doesn't... I'm scared now.


	10. Mother

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Ten - Mother

"Idiot apprentice!" Cross barked, startling the young boy who, until the outburst had been peacefully sleeping. Or at least as peacefully as it was possible to sleep when you were lying on the cold hard ground. The room that they had been renting for the past several weeks was on the cheaper side of the spectrum and as a result only had one bed.

Which of course Cross had taken, leaving Allen to make due with the floor.

As the boy sat up the blanket that had been covering his entire body, including his head, fell to the floor. This served to reveal an irritated white haired youth, who immediately cast a glaring gaze in the direction of his master. It was too early in the morning for Allen to be able to effectively hide his annoyance with the red haired general so he didn't even try. "What is it... Master?"

"We're leaving for Liverpool," Cross announced, picking up a bottle of wine and taking a long drink straight from the bottle. "You have exactly five minutes to pack up your things starting... now."

The boy quickly scrambled to his feet, once again ruing the day that he had agreed to let this man train him to become an Exorcist. He had yet to receive a single minute of training; all he'd managed to do in the months since Cross had taken him in was work his fingers to the bone in order to pay off Cross' never ending stream of debt.

"One of these days..." Allen muttered under his breath as he frantically gathered up the few possessions that he valued enough to keep. Timcanpy had been fluttering around the room but once Allen had packed his little shoulder bag the golem settled himself amidst Allen's unruly white hair.

"What was that brat?" Cross demanded, eyeing the boy through his one visible red eye.

"Um... it was nothing... Master," Allen said, not wanting to be the object of Master Cross' wrath.

"That's right nothing," Cross said, taking another long drink from the wine bottle that he held in his hands. The general stared for a minute at his mutinous golem but then decided that if Timcanpy really wanted to ride there then it was just fine with him.

Let the brat deal with him for a change.

"Allen," Cross said as he and his apprentice left the little inn where they had been staying. "If anything happens to Timcanpy then I'm holding you personally responsible."

_"Why is it always me?" _Allen silently wondered to himself as he once again fell into step behind Master Cross. He was always being threatened for one reason or another so he was fairly used to it by now. And he wasn't really all that worried because Cross wasn't known for being physically abusive. Sure he'd received the occasional slap but Allen had never suffered any serious harm at the hands of his master.

His abuse had been mostly psychological.

There was however one bright side to Master Cross' sudden desire to change locations; when they were traveling Allen didn't have to work himself half to death in order to keep the people that Cross owed money to at bay.

It was as close as he ever got to a vacation.

The two travelers, master and apprentice, traveled in silence for awhile. Each seemed to be lost in their own thoughts however, after awhile, Allen felt that it was safe to pose a question to the man who was supposed to be training him to be an Exorcist. "Master... why exactly are we going to Liverpool of all places?"

"There's someone there that I need to speak with," Cross replied, not even sparing a glance for his idiot apprentice. He had almost succeeded in forgetting that the kid was tagging along behind him and felt like smacking him for interfering with that delusion. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Right," Allen thought to himself as he continued to follow along behind Master Cross. None of his business. He really should have expected for the red haired general to say something like that. Because even though Allen was forced to follow along behind him their destinations were never any of his business. Not that it affected him or anything. Honestly the boy would seriously like to get a measure of revenge for the way that Cross treated him but he knew that it was hopeless.

This was the path that he had to walk in order to reach his goal and he would deal with it, in order to keep the promise that he had made.

* * *

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Cross and Allen arrived in Liverpool. Upon exiting the train, the tickets for which Allen had been forced to pay, the general led the way out into the countryside. He seemed to know exactly where he was going and Allen didn't question him this time.

He knew that he'd just get the same answer as last time; it wasn't any of his business where they were going.

There destination, as it turned out, was a modest little house that was situated away from the rest of the town. It was surrounded by both flower and vegetable gardens and appeared to be well taken care of. Someone obviously cared a great deal for the plants that were growing around the little house.

"I wonder why Master Cross brought us here?" Allen thought as he followed along behind the man. He knew better than to voice the question out loud and contented himself with the knowledge that soon all would be revealed to him.

"General Cross!"

Cross stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of this rather loud voice calling out to him, causing Allen to bump into him. The boy reached a hand up and rubbed his nose however he didn't have very much time to dwell on the pain. Reaching back Cross grabbed him by the collar and gave him a little toss.

With a yelp Allen went flying through the air, right into the arms of a huge man.

The boy's eyes widened as large arms folded around him and he screamed bloody murder as the man gazed down at him. It had finally happened, he was going to be killed for something that his master had done. After all of the hard work that he had put in he wasn't even going to live long enough to become an Exorcist.

"General Cross," the man said in a strangely calm voice, gazing down at the terrified child that he now held in his arms. "You didn't tell us that you'd gotten married... let alone had a son."

Allen stopped his struggle for freedom and gazed over at his master. The expression on the man's face was priceless and Allen immediately changed his opinion of the large man who was holding him in his arms. Anyone who could get that kind of a reaction out of Master Cross couldn't be all that bad.

"That brat isn't..."

But the man didn't even give the general a chance to explain about Allen. He turned around abruptly and began running toward the house, the white haired child still held in his arms. "Mother! General Cross is back and he brought his son!"

Cross clenched his right hand into a fist as he slowly followed the man toward the house. "I'm going to kill him later. I really am."

The man's shouts brought someone else out of the house and Allen's gaze immediately focused on this newcomer, judging how much of a threat they would be. His gray eyes widened as a short, elderly woman opened the door and glared at all of them.

"What is all the yelling about?" she demanded, her gaze sweeping over the three who were standing out in the yard.

Then her gaze fell squarely upon General Cross Marian.

"You..."

"Hello Mother," Cross said, offering the woman a roguish grin.

"Wait a second," Allen thought to himself, his gaze shifting back and forth between his master and the woman who was standing at the door. "Did he just say mother?"

Now he was really confused.

A/N - and there's chapter ten. The inspiration for this chapter came from episode 29 just in case anyone's interested. This will pick up in the next chapter but I thought that this was a good place to end it for now. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	11. Misunderstandings

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Eleven -Misunderstandings

"M... mother..." Allen repeated as the large man placed him once more on his own two feet. His gray eyes were large and he couldn't believe what he had just heard. It simply wasn't possible... there was no way that Cross had a mother like normal people. He hadn't been born, he'd been spawned by pure evil. The white haired youth spent the next couple of minutes gazing back and forth between Master Cross and the woman that he had called mother, searching for some kind of family resemblance.

There wasn't one.

"She's not really my mother you idiot," Cross snapped, practically seeing the wheels inside the brat's mind turning. And he didn't like the direction that the boy's train of thought was traveling in. How the hell the kid could be so unbelievably stupid was beyond him. "Mother is just what everyone calls her."

"Now is that anyway to speak to your own son?" the woman called Mother said, her gaze shifting back and forth between General Cross and Allen. She seemed to be searching for the same family resemblance between the two of them that Allen had been looking for between her and Cross.

Once again, there wasn't one.

And once again the expression on Master Cross' face was priceless and this time Allen was unable to contain the laughter that wanted to spill forth. He decided that it would be worth any repercussions and just allowed the laughter to spill forth.

Which of course only increased Cross' irritation over the entire situation.

Walking over to the boy he made a fist and struck the child on the top of the head. "Idiot!"

"Ow!" Allen screeched, both hands going to the top of his head. He had no doubt that there would be a lump there before long and once again he longed to get revenge against his master. Timcanpy was flying around the boy's head but there really wasn't anything that he could do.

"Such a cruel father," the large man said, wrapping a comforting arm around Allen's little shoulders.

"He's not my son!" Cross growled in irritation, fire snapping in the one eye that was visible. This had already gone on for far too long and he refused to allow that idiot apprentice of his to further tarnish his good name. He didn't want anyone to think that he and the brat were connected by blood.

The only thing they were connected by was bad luck.

"Baba," Mother said, focusing her gaze on the large man who had his arms wrapped protectively around Allen. "Why don't you take the little boy and show him the gardens? General Cross and I need to have a word in private."

"Okay," the man said, smiling down at the child. "Come on."

Allen was reluctant to go anywhere with this strange guy that he'd literally just met but one look at Master Cross was enough to rid him of any hesitancy. It was better to travel with a possible lunatic than stay around and face the wrath of his master.

The man named Baba led the way out to the flower gardens that were located along the side of the house, followed closely by a somewhat wary Allen. He still wasn't certain that this was safe but he knew that it was safer than being in the same room as Master Cross.

"So," the man said once he and the child had made their way out to the flower garden. "What's your name?"

"Allen," the white haired youth replied, gazing up at the man in an appraising sort of manner. It was true that he was one of the largest people that Allen had ever seen in his life but he had a gentle nature about him. It made it easy for Allen to trust him and the boy relaxed.

"It's really nice to meet you Allen," the large man said, smiling down at the child who was standing in front of him. "My name's Baba."

"A pleasure," Allen said, holding out his hand.

Baba gazed at the child's extended hand for a few moments before he grasped it and they shook hands. His smile widened. "So would you like to help me tend to the flowers?"

"Sure," Allen said, thinking that compared to some of the jobs that he'd done during his time with General Cross tending to a flower garden might be nice.

"Great!"

* * *

"So you've taken on an apprentice have you?" Mother said as she placed a cup of coffee on the table in front of the red haired Exorcist general.

"Uh huh," Cross said, gazing at the coffee with a scrutinizing gaze. He had never really cared much for the stuff as it tended to kill the buzz that he worked so hard to obtain but he didn't say this to Mother. He knew better.

"I must admit that I'm somewhat shocked by this," Mother said as she poured herself a cup of coffee and then sat down across the table from Cross. "You're the last one that I expected to see taking on a student, never mind one so young."

"Believe me, I didn't want to," Cross snapped, thinking back on the set of circumstances that had led him to become saddled with the annoying brat. "But he has too much potential to be left in the care of those idiots at the Order."

"I'm sure that's the only reason," Mother said, a knowing expression in her eyes. She could tell, by the tone of the man's voice, that there was more to the story than he was willing to tell. But she could also tell that the true reasons behind why Cross had chosen to take on the boy as his apprentice would remain a secret kept by only he himself.

But that was okay.

"That is the only reason," Cross maintained, his one visible eye narrowed.

* * *

Once Allen and Baba had weeded the small garden the large man picked a bouquet of flowers and handed them to Allen. "Come on. It's almost time for supper. I'm sure that Mother and General Cross are finished talking by now."

His eyes lighting up at the mention of food Allen nodded and followed the large man toward the door that led into the house. Baba led the way to the dining room, where they found Cross and Mother seated at a large table.

Allen paused at the door but was forced to move forward when Baba gave him a little push from behind. Glancing up Allen caught the look in the man's eyes and his gaze went back to the flowers that he still held in his hand.

A blush colored his face as he caught the meaning of the gesture. Taking a deep breath he walked forward and handed the flowers to the elderly woman who was sitting across from Cross.

"Thank you," Mother said, taking the flowers from the child. "You're nice for a bean sprout."

"B… bean sprout," Allen repeated, his eyes widening.

Catching sight of the indignant look on the boy's face Cross couldn't help but laugh at the boy. It seemed that he was offended by Mother's comment and the general made a mental note to remember that particular nickname. It got more of a response than idiot apprentice and may be worth using.

Allen was a little bit irritated by the fact that his master was laughing at him but he realized that there wasn't really anything that he could do about the situation so he held his tongue. After all, he'd already managed to get himself hit in the head once today and that was more than enough as far as he was concerned.

"Sit down brat," Cross ordered, pointing toward one of the empty chairs. "And try not to make a nuisance out of yourself."

Allen clenched his right hand into a fist, longing to strike out at his master just once, but he obeyed the command and sat down in the chair. One day he would be a full fledged Exorcist and then he would be able to go out on his own. And at that point Allen vowed that he would get as far away from Cross as was humanly possible.

"That'll be the day," the boy thought to himself.

"Supper!"

Allen's head whirled around at the sound of the man's voice. He hadn't even realized that Baba had left the dining room but now the man was returning, carrying a large pot of something that smelled absolutely fantastic.

The young boy's eyes lit up.

Baba placed the pot in the center of the table and quickly dished out four servings, handing a bowl to each of the people assembled around the table in turn.

"Wow, thank you," Allen said as he accepted the bowl that was being offered to him by the man. The contents appeared to be a thick stew and Allen's eyes lit up at the first bite.

"You're an amazing cook!" Allen exclaimed, attacked the food with vigor.

"He has quite the appetite," Mother commented as she watched Allen shovel food into his mouth. "It's really amazing that he's such a bean sprout. Cross, are you starving him?"

"No," Cross snapped.

Allen just smiled.

A/N - and there's the end of another chapter. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	12. Kindness

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Twelve - Kindness

Allen couldn't believe how well he had slept. Of course he was used to strange places by now, having traveled so much with General Cross, but this time it was different. This time he was sharing the house with someone other than his master and that felt odd somehow.

But Mother and Baba hadn't been anything other than nice to him and the young boy found himself feeling happy for what may have been the first time since the accident that had claimed Mana's life.

These people were so different from his master and Allen found that he couldn't keep the smile off his face as he climbed out of bed and dressed for the day. At last he had found people who didn't yell at him or call him an idiot every time that he opened his mouth.

"This is great," Allen found himself thinking as he descended the stairs and made his way to the dining room.

Just like the night before the room was full, with General Cross at one end of the table and Mother and Baba at the other. It looked as though they had just finished breakfast and Allen frantically wondered if he had overslept.

"Good morning my boy," Mother said when she noticed the white haired youth standing in the doorway.

"Idiot apprentice," Cross barked, not even bothering to turn around and look at the boy whom he was addressing. His hand was gripping a bottle of wine and he took a drink before he continued. "You'd better hurry and find a job boy."

"Y… yes Master," Allen said, his face falling. He'd hoped that maybe he wouldn't have to do that while they were here but apparently it had been a false hope.

"I'll be back later in the day," the red haired Exorcist General announced as he got to his feet. He nodded in Mother's direction and then left the room without so much as even a passing glance toward his young charge.

Allen sighed.

"Don't worry about it," Mother said, a knowing look in her eyes. "He's just acting tough. Now come over here and have some breakfast my boy."

The smile once again returned to Allen's face at the mention of food. "Thank you so much."

"So polite," Mother said, inwardly wondering how he managed to keep such manners while traveling with General Cross. "They must be ingrained into his mind fairly well," she thought to herself as she watched the child sit down.

Having experienced Allen's appetite the day before Baba had made twice as much for breakfast and he watched, a smile on his face, as the young boy devoured the food that he had prepared.

"This is really good," Allen said, smiling at Baba as he ate.

"I'm glad that you like it Allen," Baba said, seeming pleased by Allen's words.

"Well," Allen said once he had finished his meal. "I guess that I should go out and find work. Do you know if anyone around here needs any help with odd jobs?"

Mother's gaze swept back and forth between Allen and Baba and then she nodded her head. "I think that Baba could use some help out in the gardens."

Allen's eyes widened.

"I'll pay you a fair price," Mother promised.

"But… but I can't…"

Mother held up her hands, interrupting Allen's words. "Don't worry about it my boy. That Master of yours is going to ask me for money before he leaves anyway so I may as well get something out of it. Now go on with you."

"Um okay," Allen said, still confused but deciding not to argue further.

Mother watched as Baba and Allen left the dining room and made their way out to the gardens. She could tell that General Cross was being hard on the young boy that he was training and, although the child didn't seem to understand, Mother was fairly certain that she knew the reasons behind his harsh treatment of the boy.

The life of an Exorcist was a difficult one and Mother was fairly certain that Cross was simply trying to make sure that Allen was strong enough to handle the life that he had chosen.

Perhaps she was giving the man too much credit with this way of thinking but that was her opinion.

And she really hoped that she was correct, for Allen's sake if for nothing else. He seemed like such a nice young man and Mother hated the thought of anything bad happening.

Or to be more precise, anything worse.

General Cross had told her about the boy's past and the cause of the scar that marred the child's face. Her heart had gone out to the little boy when she'd heard the story and she couldn't help but admire the kid for his determination to become an Exorcist so that he could make up for what he had done.

Few adults would have the strength to do what this child was doing.

"_His journey will be a long and difficult one," _Mother thought to herself as she got to her feet and made her way to the window. Glancing out she saw that both Baba and Allen were smiling and laughing about something and that made her smile. She had hoped that the two of them would get along and it appeared as though her hopes had not been in vain. Allen seemed to be having a good time and Mother was pleased by this fact. The least she could do for the child was make sure that his stay here was as pleasant as possible. _"And I dare Cross to say anything about it."_

Baba had shown Allen a section of the garden that needed weeding and the white haired youth had went to work immediately. He knew that Mother was trying to be nice when she had offered to pay him to help out in the garden and he wanted to make sure that she got her money's worth.

Even if he was just going to have to turn around and give it to his master.

"_This is strange," _Allen thought to himself as he helped Baba pull the weeds from the flower gardens that ran along the back side of the house. This was work and yet Allen found that he didn't mind.

He was actually having a really good time.

* * *

When he returned from his trip into town General Cross noticed that his apprentice was out in the garden pulling weeds. It seemed as though the brat were having a good time and the General made a move to go to the garden. He had told the boy to go out and look for a job and yet the kid was still hanging around and goofing off. That irritated the General and he fully intended to go over there and ruin the kid's day.

That was until he heard a stern voice call out to him.

"Don't even think about bothering my new hired helper," Mother warned, noticing the glint in Cross' one visible eye and knowing what he had planned. She had heard the General's orders to the boy and she knew exactly what was running through that twisted mind of his.

And she refused to allow him to act upon it.

"_So that's how it is," _Cross thought to himself as he entered the house without a word to Mother or so much as a second glance to his apprentice. To be honest he had expected for Mother to take pity on the boy but, as long as he got his money, he didn't really care who the brat worked for.

The man concealed a yawn behind his hand as he made his way to the room that he had claimed upon their arrival. He needed a nap and he needed to stop thinking about the brat that he had taken in.

"I need a drink," the man grumbled.

The red haired General opened the door of his room, walked over to the end table and grabbed the bottle of wine that he had left there the night before. Pulling off his boots Cross fell onto the bed where he propped himself up with the headboard and drank his wine straight from the bottle.

He and the brat would remain here for a couple more days and then they would continue their journey. This time they were bound for the Mediterranean and Cross was looking forward to the trip.

The boy, on the other hand, wouldn't be happy about it.

Not that this fact mattered to Cross. "He'll just have to deal with it."

A/N - and there's the end of yet another chapter. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	13. Learning to Fish

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Thirteen - Learning to Fish

Allen had been traveling with General Cross for some time when he found himself in the Mediterranean. As usual Master Cross left the boy with orders to find a job and then went out to look for booze or women or, most likely, both. Groaning to himself Allen slid on the little half glove that concealed the cross that marked the back of his hand and then set out to look for some kind of work.

"One of these days..." Allen muttered under his breath, clenching his right hand into a fist as he thought about all of the tortures that he'd like to inflict upon his Master. There were so many things that he wanted revenge for but of course it was only a thought.

Allen fully realized that he was nowhere near a match for General Cross but that didn't stop him from imagining making the man pay for everything that he had gone through.

The young man spent a couple of hours walking through the town where he and Cross were staying, searching for someone who needed help with odd jobs or something. Unfortunately there didn't seem to be any work in town and, with a sigh, Allen made his way down to the dock. Allen knew that he had to find work or else his Master would be extremely upset and, with this thought in mind, the boy traveled to the dock where all of the fishing boats departed from.

One ship remained at the harbor and Allen approached a man who was watching other men loading supplies onto the ship. "Um..." Allen said, walking up to the man. "Excuse me sir. I'm looking for work and I was wondering if you have a job that I can do."

The man gazed down at the boy and immediately dismissed him. "Go away kid. You're too small and weak looking for this line of work."

"Please give me a chance sir," Allen pleaded, knowing that this was his last chance to find a job. And he had to find a job. He couldn't go back to the inn without money or else... A mental picture of his Master entered his mind at that moment, causing him to shiver involuntarily and cementing his resolve. "I'm stronger than I look."

The captain once again gazed down at the boy, and something about the determination in the boy's gray eyes made him change his mind. "Alright boy, I must be out of my mind but I'll give you a chance. But if you don't pull your share of the weight then I'll have you tossed overboard. You got that?"

Briefly thinking that this man was like Master Cross, Allen gulped around a lump in his throat and nodded. "Yes sir."

"Right then. Get on board."

"Yes sir," Allen said once again before dashing up the board that ran between the ship and the dock. He was grateful that he had found a job but he wasn't really happy about the prospect of spending several days out at sea.

And the threat of being tossed overboard was looming over his head.

"Why is it always me?" Allen moaned as he stood at the rail of the ship.

He had to have the worst luck of any human being alive and just thinking about this fact was enough to make him miserable. Why? Why did stuff like this constantly happen to him?

Allen's thought were successfully diverted from his dilemma when he was approached by a group of large men. They were all gazing down at him with irritated looks in their eyes and Allen found himself wondering what he could have possibly done to upset them?

Nothing came to mind, after all he'd only been on the boat for a few minutes and he hadn't spoken to a soul.

"Um…" the boy said, gazing up at the faces of the men who were surrounding him. "Hello."

"Are you lost or something brat?" one of the men asked, gazing down at Allen with a sneer on his face.

"No sir," Allen replied, shaking his head.

"No sir he says," the man said, his tone mocking as he turned to his buddies. "This scrawny little brat actually plans on working on this ship."

Having encountered people like this man his entire life Allen was virtually unaffected by the man's harsh words. This guy was a bully, no doubt about it, but he paled in comparison to Master Cross and Allen found him easy enough to ignore.

He turned away from the man.

Angered by this action from the boy the man reached out toward him, only to be stopped by one of his companions. "Not right now. I heard the boss talking to the brat. If he doesn't pull his weight then we get to throw him overboard."

A sneer appeared on the man's face at the thought of tossing this strange, white haired brat to the sharks.

"I guess you've been spared for now brat," the man growled before he and the others stalked away.

_"Why me?"_ Allen thought once again.

* * *

Working aboard the fishing vessel proved difficult, much harder than some of the other jobs that he'd been forced to work during his time with Master Cross, but it wasn't anything that Allen couldn't handle. Working alone on one side of the deck the youth pulled the nets aboard the ship, struggling to lift them alone but managing to get the job done.

Which of course got the attention of the ship's captain. The gruff man approached the boy on the last day that they were to be at sea.

The ship was returning to port the following morning.

"You know," he said as he came to stand beside Allen, who was leaning against the deck and gazing off at the horizon. "I had my doubts about hiring you but you've certainly proven you're worth as far as I'm concerned."

"Thank you," Allen said quietly.

"How would you like to become a regular member of my crew?"

Shocked by this offer Allen shifted his gaze to the face of the ship's captain. His features were rough but there was a small smile on the man's face. "Thanks for the offer," the young boy said, wondering briefly what it would be like to be fisherman for the rest of his life. "But I have to meet back up with my Master once we get back."

"I see," the captain said, nodding his head. "Well if you ever change your mind feel free to come back."

"I will," Allen said, offering the captain his hand. "Thank you."

The captain shook the young boy's hand and then turned and walked across the deck. Allen watched the man leave, his thoughts returning to the promise that he had made on the day that he had foolishly turned Mana into an Akuma.

No matter how harsh his life was Allen refused to leave the road that he had chosen to walk. He would become an Exorcist and help the souls that were trapped inside Akuma.

For Mana.

For the souls.

And for himself.

* * *

As soon as the ship arrived back at the harbor Allen thanked the ship's captain for giving him the job, accepted his pay, and then hurried off to the inn where he and his master had been staying.

"I really hope he's still there," the boy muttered to himself as he approached the room that Cross had rented.

Allen was reaching for the handle when the door was suddenly flung open and a hand reached out, seizing him by the collar of his shirt. With a little squeak of dismay the boy was pulled inside the room, where he found himself face to face with General Cross.

Who seemed to be slightly intoxicated.

Holding Allen's shirt collar with one hand the red haired general held out his other hand. Familiar with this gesture, Allen reached into his pocket and pulled out the stack of neatly folded bills.

With a small sigh the boy placed the money into his master's outstretched hand.

Cross gazed down at the money that his apprentice had given to him for a split second before turning his angry gaze back to the brat. "Is this all of it idiot apprentice?"

"Yes," Allen replied without batting an eye.

"Pathetic," Cross snarled, releasing his grip on the boy's collar and allowing the youth to fall to the ground. "You should try to get a better paying job next time."

With another sigh Allen got to his feet, wondering as he did so exactly how long he would be subjected to this life. He had yet to undergo any actual training and was beginning to fear that he would be a slave to General Cross forever.

"Maybe that's the real reason why he picked me up," the boy thought to himself as he began searching the room for something to eat. "He plans to keep me around to pay off his bills for the rest of my life."

A horrified expression appeared on the boy's face at this thought and his mouth opened in silent scream.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye Cross shook his head. "Idiot apprentice."

A/N - and there's the end of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Reviews make me smile. Hint... hint...


	14. Encounter in Cairo

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Fourteen - Encounters in Cairo

"I can't believe that I actually survived that," Allen thought to himself as he knelt on the ground, thankful that he was finally back among civilization. This latest job that he had been forced to take on had almost been the death of him and the white haired youth once against thought about how much he would like to punch his master in the nose.

Allen had been forced to travel through the Egyptian desert, leading a camel caravan, and the journey had almost been his last. And of course it had absolutely nothing to do with becoming an Exorcist.

"Is he ever going to train me?" the boy grumbled to himself as he shoved his earnings into his pocket. He was half tempted to flee and keep the money for himself but in the end that was something that Allen would never do.

No matter how much he might want to.

He had made a promise to Mana, a promise to save all of the unfortunate souls trapped inside the Earl's Akuma, and there was absolutely no way that he was going to break that promise. Despite all of the hardships that he was being forced to endure Allen would remain by General Cross' side until he learned what he needed to know in order to fight the Akuma.

This was something that he had to do but Allen found himself thinking that he really needed to find a better way to earn money. "This is starting to get dangerous. There has to be an easier way to earn enough money to pay off Master's debts and feed myself."

As this thought was running through the boy's mind Allen passed by a bar. The building was noisy, owing to the open door, and Allen happened to glance inside as he walked by. A group of men were sitting at a table in one corner and each of them were holding playing cards in their hands. A large pile of money was situated in the center of the table and Allen's eyes widened.

Wanting a closer look at what exactly was going on inside the bar Allen slipped inside, hoping that no one noticed him. Hiding in the shadows Allen approached close enough to the men so that he could hear what they were saying.

It turned out that the men were playing a game called poker, which Allen was vaguely familiar with. Mana had taught him to play during a rare moment of free time but he had never really been any good at the game.

He had rotten luck after all.

But watching these men play Allen came to realize that you didn't really need luck in order to win. At least not the way that they played. All of them were cheating and it seemed to be a contest on who could cheat the best.

The winner seemed to be the person who cheated and got away with it.

"What the hell are you doing here boy?" a voice suddenly called out, startling Allen and causing him to jump slightly.

Without waiting to see exactly who it was that was yelling at him the youth turned and ran from the bar. He had learned all that he needed to know and had reached a decision concerning his money problems. He had a deck of cards after all, which he had been using to rehabilitate his partially paralyzed left hand, and was fairly confident that he could learn the methods of cheating that he had witnessed.

The sight of the large pile of money that the men had been wagering proved to be a lure that he simply couldn't resist. It was more money than Allen made in a week's worth of work and would perhaps keep his master happy.

"I'll do it," Allen decided, clenching his hand into a fist. "I'll learn to be the best poker player ever."

This was a turning point for Allen and, as he made his way toward the inn where his master had promised to meet him, the boy thought about all of the practice that he would have to put in so that he could become a master at poker. It wasn't going to be easy but Allen was determined to do it.

And he was also determined to keep it a secret from his master.

When the boy reached the inn where General Cross was supposedly staying he inquired about his master with the man in charge. The man gave the boy a room number and Allen thanked him and set off.

"What the hell took you so long, idiot apprentice?"

This was the greeting that Allen received the moment that he opened the door of his master's room. Allen jumped slightly at the harsh words but continued into the room anyway.

His master was seated at the window and Timcanpy was resting atop the man's hat. Both seemed to turn their attention toward him as Allen entered the room.

"I'm sorry Master," Allen muttered as he closed the door behind himself. He wanted desperately to shout at Cross over the fact that he'd almost died completing this latest job but he held his tongue.

It wasn't as though anything would be accomplished by him losing his temper. All that would do was anger his master and that never boded well for Allen.

"Well brat," Cross said, holding out one gloved hand and glaring at Allen through his one visible red eye. "Hand it over."

Allen needed no further explanation to know what his master was demanding. The red haired man wanted the money that he had earned during this latest in a long string of odd jobs. Sighing Allen pulled the folded up bills from his pocket and placed them in his master's outstretched hand.

Cross casually counted the bills and then stuffed them in his pocket. Turning away from his apprentice he went back to gazing out the window, which Allen took to mean that he was dismissed. The youth made a move to turn away and leave but stopped short as his eye turned red and a chill swept through his body.

Having traveled with General Cross for awhile Allen had became familiar with this particular sensation.

An Akuma was nearby.

Hearing the small gasp that escaped the lips of his apprentice Cross turned and gazed at the boy. Seeing that the brat's cursed eye was activated the General began searching for signs of something out of the ordinary.

Searching for signs of the Akuma that Allen was sensing.

"So where is it you useless brat?" Cross asked, his voice containing a slightly taunting tone.

Allen made his way to the window and surveyed the people who were milling around below. It only took a couple of minutes for him to locate the Akuma hidden amongst the humans and he pointed it out with a shaking hand.

"Let's go," Cross ordered as he got to his feet. Most Exorcists would be in a hurry to get to the Akuma and destroy it but Cross wasn't like most Exorcists.

He prided himself on that fact.

For his part Allen had no idea how to battle the Akuma but he knew enough not to refuse the orders of his master. The white haired youth obediently fell into step behind the red haired man and together they left the inn and made their way out into the street below.

Once he emerged from the hotel General Cross sought out the person that Allen had pointed out to him. At first the creature, disguised as a middle aged man, attempted to act like a normal human but once it became obvious that Cross wasn't falling for the disguise it shifted to it's true form.

Not even remotely concerned about his opponent, Cross casually flicked his coat aside to reveal a gleaming silver gun. This Akuma was weak, hardly worth the effort, but Cross knew that he had to kill it.

Drawing out the firearm Cross pointed it at the Akuma and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew through the air, struck the Akuma, and caused it to explode.

Allen's gaze was locked onto the soul that only he could see and, the moment that Master Cross' bullet struck the Akuma, the soul was freed from the chains that had bound it. In that moment it's appearance changed, becoming more human, and a smile appeared on his face.

This sight served to reinforce the promise that Allen had made.

"You're free now," the boy whispered as he watched the soul disappear.

He now knew that what the Exorcists did really was beneficial to those trapped inside the Akuma and he resolved to learn to fight as quickly as he could. Freeing the trapped souls would be his life's work.

"Let's go idiot apprentice," Cross snapped, breaking into Allen's thoughts. The red haired general was already walking back toward the inn and Allen hurried to follow.

A/N - here's another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	15. Of Lions and Lambs

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Fifteen - Of Lions and Lambs

After his encounter with the men in the bar Allen made good on his decision to learn to play poker. The white haired youth spent every spare second practicing with the worn deck of playing cards that he had been using to gain more mobility in his left hand. The boy took the methods of cheating that he had picked up and combined them with a few of his own design.

Now all he needed was someone to test his news skills on.

Allen knew that this could prove dangerous but was none the less determined to carry out his plan. It was the only way he knew to earn enough money to pay off Cross' debts as well as earn a living for himself. Or at least the only way to do it without working himself into exhaustion every day.

"I have to do this," the boy thought to himself as he made his way down a dusty street in Kenya. He and his master had arrived the day before and, as expected, Allen had been sent out to find work immediately.

And now that he had money in his pocket Allen was searching for someone to play poker with. This was the perfect time to test out the skills that he had been developing and the youth was determined to take full advantage.

He knew, from listening to Master Cross, that there was a bar in the small settlement town so that was where he decided to go. Surely it wouldn't be difficult to convince someone to play a couple of hands of poker with him.

The walk to the bar didn't take very long and Allen stepped inside, this time making no attempt to conceal his presence. His searching gaze quickly fell upon a group of rough looking men who were playing poker at a table in the corner and the boy quickly walked over to them.

"Well, well," one of the men said as his gaze fell upon the child. "What have we here? Would you like to join us boy?"

Allen nodded which caused the group of men to break out into raucous laughter. The looks that they gave him were patronizing but Allen didn't really care. As a matter of fact he fully intended to take advantage of what these men thought of him.

"Do you have money?" a second man asked, his narrow eyed gaze locked onto this strange boy with white hair.

Reaching into his pocket Allen pulled out a handful of wadded up bills. This was actually only part of the money that he had but the boy knew it would be unwise to reveal exactly how much money he had.

Despite what his master was constantly saying Allen really wasn't an idiot.

"Well then pull up a chair boy," the first man said, gesturing toward an empty chair positioned at a nearby table. "And I'll deal you in."

Allen nodded and grabbed the chair.

"This is going to be so easy," one of the men commented as Allen pulled the large chair over to the table. "Like taking candy away from a baby."

"I know," the first man said, a grin spreading across his face. "You know I almost feel bad for the kid… almost."

* * *

The man would come to regret that comment. An hour of playing poker with the boy found him and his friends penniless and staring at the white haired brat, who had a wide grin spread across his face.

None of them had ever seen anyone, adult or otherwise, who was such a master at poker. They suspected him of cheating but none of them could catch him in the act or figure out exactly how he was doing it.

And they were all irritated over the situation.

"Damn!" the first man growled after yet another losing hand. Growing increasingly more frustrated the man tossed his cards into the air and stood up. "I've had enough of this damn game. I'm leaving."

And without another word the man turned and walked away from the poker table.

The other men took one look at the demon disguised as a child who was sitting with them and then decided that they'd had enough of the game as well. They all got to their feet and walked away, leaving Allen to gather up his winnings.

"_Wow," _Allen thought to himself as he quickly gathered up his winnings and left the bar. He knew that it wasn't a good idea to hang around and wanted to make a hasty retreat. _"I think I've got enough here to please Master and get myself something good to eat."_

The thought of a good meal caused the child's mouth to begin watering and Allen made the decision to get something to eat before returning to the inn.

Learning to play poker, and more precisely learning to cheat at poker, really had been a good decision on his part.

This thought kept echoing through the white haired youth's mind as he sat at a table in a nearby restaurant and ordered more food than he'd ever gotten in one sitting.

* * *

Once Allen had finished with his meal the boy made his way back to the inn where he and Cross had been staying. The room that belonged to master and apprentice was empty but this didn't really bother Allen. He entered the room and lit the lamp that was positioned on the end table between the two beds.

Master Cross often went off to search for wine and women so Allen didn't really think much about the fact that he wasn't there.

"Probably out getting drunk," Allen muttered to himself as he walked over to the bed that belonged to him. He really had no idea what was going on but decided to get some sleep while he was alone.

Because he could never tell when his master was going to make some kind of ridiculous request of him.

Having worked himself into exhaustion to earn the money that he had used to gamble with Allen practically collapsed onto his bed. The boy was asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow however he was awakened a couple of hours later by the sound of someone entering the room.

The boy was instantly on the alert but the intruder proved to be none other than Master Cross himself. The man appeared intoxicated, judging by the way that he stumbled into the room, and Allen noticed that Timcanpy was perched on top of his hat.

"Idiot apprentice," Cross said as his eyes adjusted to the faint light given off by the one lamp that was lit and he saw that Allen was sitting on the edge of the bed. "You'd better have… some money for me if you're going to laze about."

With a sigh Allen reached into his pocket and pulled out the money that he had left after paying for his meal.

Cross took the money that the boy was offering him and gazed down at it. For once he actually seemed satisfied by the amount of money that Allen had given to him and the man collapsed onto his bed without another word to his student.

"Thank goodness," Allen thought as he too lay down.

Having been jarred from his perch on top of General Cross' hat Timcanpy flew over to Allen and nestled up against the boy. A small smile spread across the boy's face as he touched one of the golem's little wings.

* * *

The next morning Cross and Allen actually went to the restaurant that was located in the inn where they were staying and had breakfast together. Allen was shocked by this occurrence but the surprise didn't last long.

Once they'd finished with their meal Cross turned his gaze toward his apprentice. "Hey… I wanna see one of those lions… go get one."

Allen's eyes widened in horror, hoping desperately that Cross was just messing around with him, but unfortunately it soon became apparent that his master was serious.

With a small sigh Allen left the inn, after gathering up a large rope.

"_I'm not sure how much more of this I can take," _the child thought to himself as he made his way out of town. He had seen lions during the trip to the small town where they were currently staying so he was fairly certain that he could track one down.

What he was less sure of was what he was going to do once he found a lion.

"Why do things like this constantly happen to me?" Allen moaned as his gaze fell upon a lioness that was lounging in the shade of a lone tree.

Grabbing the rope that he had been carrying around his shoulder the boy took up a position behind a clump of bushes. Holding the rope with shaking hands Allen gazed out at the lioness as he attempted to work up enough nerve to attempt to capture the animal.

Unfortunately he didn't gather up his courage fast enough. Just as he was about to launch the attack Allen heard something breathing nearby. A bead of sweat appeared on the child's forehead as he gazed out of the corner of his eye.

It was a lion.

And it looked extremely angry.

Screaming in horror Allen dashed out of the bushes, running as though his life depended upon it.

Mainly because it did.

"Why?!" the boy screamed as he dashed around in an attempt to shake the lion that was hot on his tail. "Why do things like this always happen to me?!"

The only reply he got to this howled question was a roar from the lion, which served to pump more adrenaline into his veins.

Which thankfully helped him to move even faster.

Allen somehow managed to escape the angry lion but by this time he was hot, filthy and completely exhausted.

Not to mention furious at his master.

"I wanna see a lion," the boy muttered darkly, his gray eyes narrowed as he thought back to this request from his master. "Why does he insist on putting me through stuff like this?"

At this point Allen's mind flashed back to all of the horrors that he had already endured at the hands of his master and he vaguely wondered exactly how much more of this he could handle. And keep his mental stability intact.

As he trudged down the path that would lead him back to town the youth contemplated how much effort it would take to kill his master. And how guilty he'd feel about it later.

"That was the most pathetic thing that I've ever seen," a familiar voice called out as Allen made his way back toward the inn.

Allen whirled around and his jaw dropped as his gaze fell upon his master. "You… you mean you were watching?"

Cross merely shrugged as he walked past his apprentice and continued on toward the inn.

Clenching his hands into fists and gritting his teeth together to keep himself from saying something that he would regret, Allen followed his master. The boy was completely amazed that he was actually still breathing and he didn't want to jeopardize it by saying something that would anger Master Cross.

He was angry enough as it was.

"I can't believe that he just watched as I was nearly mauled by a lion," Allen grumbled to himself as he followed along behind his master. There had to be a limit to what this man was capable of putting him through.

Allen just hoped that he lived long enough to find out exactly what that limit was.

"Hey idiot apprentice," Cross barked, interrupting Allen's internal musings. "Why are you following me?"

Allen wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to answer that question. "Um…"

"Go out and find a job," Cross ordered, not even bothering to turn around and look at the boy. "You have to pay for your room and board while we're here you know."

"Aagh!" Allen screamed as he stopped in his tracks and watched his master continue walking toward the inn where they were staying. In hindsight he really should have expected it but for some reason the white haired youth was surprised. "Why did I think that almost being eaten by a lion would be enough to get me out of work for one day?"

That had been foolish on his part, Allen knew that now.

Bowing his head in defeat Allen sighed and resigned himself to finding a job. He would have liked to find one that paid well without a lot of effort on his part but Allen knew that this was just wishful thinking.

He was in for yet another day of back breaking labor and he knew it.

"One day," Allen muttered to himself, clenching his right hand into a fist and feeling a dark aura surround him.

Resigned to his fate Allen slowly made his way around town, searching for someone who needed a worker. It took a little effort on his part but, after returning to the restaurant where he'd eaten the night before, Allen finally found a job.

Waiting tables and cleaning up at the restaurant.

It wasn't the best job that he'd ever had but at least the pay was decent. And the work was easy, compared to some of the odd jobs that he'd been forced to do during his time with General Cross.

The only problem was the apron that his employer had supplied to him. It was white, for which Allen was thankful since any other color would have been dreadful, but the problem was the edge which was trimmed in white ruffles.

"I'm sorry about that," the manager said as he followed Allen's gaze and saw that he was focused on the ruffles that adorned the apron. "But it was the only one that we had. We normally hire women."

"It's okay," Allen said, forcing his focus away from his ridiculous appearance.

"Take these to the table over there in the corner," the cook said, breaking into Allen's thoughts. The man pointed toward a table that was occupied by a man and a woman, each appearing to be middle aged.

Taking the tray of food Allen nodded. This job was sheer torture, being around large amounts of food and being forced to smell it, but hopefully he and Master Cross would move on soon and he could find a different line of work.

"Hey boy," the man said as Allen placed the tray of food down on the table. "You look cute in that apron."

Completely mortified by the comment Allen rushed away from the table the minute that he'd placed the food down. Maybe this job really hadn't been the best idea.

"At least I'll never see this man again," Allen thought to himself as he went about his work.

* * *

The work day progressed fairly quickly; thankfully there was enough work to do to keep Allen's hands and thoughts occupied. As he worked the youth thought that maybe this job wasn't so bad after all.

At least that was his thought until he heard the sound of the door opening. Having gotten the hang of the job the boy turned around to greet the customer.

"Welcome to…"

The boy's words faltered as he focused his gaze on the customer and saw who it was. And in that moment the fight or flight instinct kicked in, although in Allen's case it was more flight than fight.

"Why?" he demanded as he watched Master Cross enter the restaurant, with a woman on each arm. Why did the uniform hate him so much?

For his part General Cross merely narrowed his one visible eye as his gaze fell upon his apprentice, complete with white ruffled apron. "I hope that they're paying you extra for that."

Allen desperately wanted to run away but knew that it wasn't a viable option. So, taking a deep breath, he went about work as though his master wasn't sitting across the room and more than likely making fun of him to the two women who were with him.

But he instinctively knew that he would never live this particular part time job down.

A/N - poor Allen. I feel really bad for him in this story. I'm a horrible person for putting him through stuff like this. Anyway, hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please review and tell me what you thought.


	16. Friend

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Sixteen - Friend

After the trauma that he had endured there Allen was more than happy to leave Kenya behind. The part time job that he'd been working hadn't been horrible but the looks he'd gotten due to the white, ruffled apron and Allen was looking forward to finding some work that was a little less embarrassing. His master had said that they were going to India next and the white haired youth found himself vaguely wondering what was going to happen to him there.

No matter where they went Master Cross always seemed to make sure that something traumatic happened to his apprentice. Allen wasn't sure whether the man did it on purpose or not but either way it was bad.

"I wonder if he plans it all out this way?" Allen thought to himself as he and Master Cross traveled toward India.

Normally Allen enjoyed the traveling; he liked to see new places but somehow his master always managed to put a damper on his good mood.

As though the man couldn't stand to see his apprentice being happy. Actually Allen had never given it much thought but that was probably the exact reason why his master put him through various horrors on a daily basis. When he was miserable was the only time that he saw anything that even vaguely resembled a look of happiness on his master's face. So that had to be it. It was all done on purpose.

"He's evil," the white haired youth muttered.

"What was that brat?" Cross muttered, glaring at his young charge out of the corner of his eye.

"Nothing," Allen replied quickly, wondering as he did so how his master managed to ignore him and yet at the same time hear even the whispered derogatory comments. Maybe it was selective hearing or something along those times. His master only heard the things that he wanted to hear and everything else simply went through one ear and out the other.

* * *

Once master and apprentice arrived in India it didn't take Cross long to track down a beautiful woman to grace with his presence. And this time it wasn't some ordinary woman but the widow of the maharaja who ruled the land. Allen was completely at a loss as to how things like this kept happening but there were some things that you just couldn't find an answer to no matter how hard you tried. And Cross' appeal to the opposite sex was simply one of those things.

"How does he do it?" Allen muttered to himself as he lugged his master's suitcase up a flight of stairs. He had been ordered to take Master Cross' belongings to the room that would be his and Allen obeyed immediately, if only to escape the man.

He had never understood how his master could be so popular with women when he wasn't a pleasant man by any means.

So what was it that made these women fawn all over him?

"I don't get it," Allen muttered, shaking his head and causing his white hair to fall in front of his gray eyes. "And I probably never will."

Once the boy reached the top of the staircase he followed the directions that he had been given by one of the servants. Or, to be more precise, he attempted to follow the directions.

Unfortunately Allen had never been good with directions. Not to mention the fact that he had a lousy sense of direction.

Before long the youth was hopelessly lost.

"I can't believe it," Allen exclaimed as he turned a corner and walked past the same painting that he had already passed four times. "I'm actually lost."

He was still lugging around his master's heavy suitcase and the boy decided to take a break and see if he could rethink the directions that he had been given. Perhaps he would still be able to find the room that the was looking for.

Releasing his grip on the suitcase Allen let it fall the few inches to the floor. Then he sat down on the floor beside it, racking his brain in an attempt to get out of this unfortunate situation.

"Um excuse me…"

Allen glanced up at the sound of the unfamiliar voice that was calling out to him. His searching gaze fell upon a young girl, probably no more than a few years older than he himself.

"Hello."

"Is there something that I can help you with?" the girl asked, her dark eyes focused on the strange youth who was sitting in the floor next to a suitcase. She had a wary look on her face, as though she was trying to place the boy and couldn't.

"I was looking for a room in the east wing," Allen said, blushing due to the fact that he had to admit the fact that he had gotten lost in a house. And to a complete stranger no less. "I'm supposed to take my master's things there but I can't seem to find it."

"Oh," the girl said, nodding her head. She was fairly certain that she could place this strange white haired youth and this caused her to relax somewhat. "So you're with the red haired man who arrived today?"

"Unfortunately," Allen muttered.

"Well if you're looking for the east wing then you're really lost," the girl said, offering Allen a smile.

"Yea," Allen said, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "I was afraid of that. Is there any way that you could help me out?"

"Sure," the girl said.

"Thank you so much," Allen said, getting to his feet and picking up the suitcase.

"Don't mention it," the girl said. "My name's Mina by the way."

"I'm Allen."

"I have a brother who is about your age," Mina said as she led Allen around the mansion to the wing where he was actually supposed to be. "Perhaps the two of you will run into one another."

"I think I'd like that," Allen said in a quiet voice. He'd never actually had a friend his own age; in fact he'd only had one friend his entire life and that had been Mana.

After Mina's intervention it didn't take long to arrive at the room where Allen was supposed to take Cross' suitcase and the boy turned grateful gray eyes toward the young girl who had helped him out. He bowed politely. "Thank you so much for your help."

"It was my pleasure Allen," Mina said, returning the bow. "Now I should probably get back to work."

"Alright."

Allen watched as Mina walked away and then he produced a key from his pocket and used it to unlock the door. He stepped inside the room and was horrified to find that Master Cross was sitting on a small couch, with a glass of wine held in his hand.

"M… Master," Allen said as he pulled the suitcase into the room and then closed the door behind him. "What are you…"

"I came up to my room to take a shower before having dinner with Miss Urmina," Cross said, his voice laced with irritation. "But I couldn't do that because you had my suitcase. Where were you idiot apprentice?"

"I um… I got lost," Allen admitted in a quiet voice.

"Get out," Cross snapped, shaking his head. "Don't you have work to do?"

"Yes," Allen said and, without another word, the boy turned and left the room. He had been given a job the minute they had arrived at the palace and he hurried off to begin before he did something to further anger his master.

The job of sweeping out chimneys was far from easy but at least he didn't have to don any embarrassing attire in order to do the job. This was the only good thing about it however.

"Wonderful," the white haired youth muttered as he climbed the ladder that led up to the roof. It was tricky climbing with the brush that he would use to clean the chimneys but he managed.

The boy braved one glance down and that was all it took to convince him to never do it again. He wasn't particularly scared of heights but he was also not the most graceful of people, which increased the odds that he would fall.

"Sometimes I think he's trying to get me killed," Allen said as he set about his work. He could talk openly, since there wasn't anyone around to overhear him, and Allen found that it actually made him feel better.

* * *

Allen worked until the sun began to sink below the horizon and then he descended from the roof. He was far from finished from this task but it was growing dark so the rest would have to wait until the following day.

"Hey!"

Allen jumped slightly as he heard the strange voice calling out to him, which made him miss a step in the ladder.

Thankfully he was only a few feet from the ground and managed to land on his feet. Without injury which came as something of a shock to the youth.

"Sorry about that."

Allen turned his gaze toward the voice and saw that the speaker was a boy about his own age. He recalled Mina's words and was curious whether this was the brother that she had spoken of. "It's okay."

"My name's Narein," the boy said, offering Allen a friendly smile.

"Allen."

"So are you new around here Allen?" Narein asked as he began to follow Allen to the shed where all of the cleaning supplies were stored.

"Yea," Allen said. "My master and I just arrived today. We're going to be here for awhile so I was given this job."

"Well," Narein said, hearing the note of annoyance in the white haired youth's voice. "Just remember, it could be worse."

Allen thought back to the job that he'd had in Kenya, waiting tables at a restaurant, and shuddered. Yes, it could definitely be worse.

"Well I have to get back to work," Narein said, waving at Allen as he turned to walk away. "But maybe we can hang out sometime."

"I'd like that," Allen said as he watched the boy walk away. He'd never had a friend and Narein seemed nice.

Maybe the two of them could be friends?

That would make this stay in India more tolerable, which would be a novelty to Allen. After having endured so many hardships the young boy had began to look at life like 'what's going to happen next?' but now that he had met Narein he was hopeful that maybe things would be different this time. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he had someone his own age to talk to when the going got tough. At least that was what Allen was hoping for.

A/N - and there's the end to another chapter. It was short but Narein's going to be around for awhile. Fear not. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	17. A New Experience

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Seventeen - A New Experience

A couple of days had passed since Allen and his master arrived in India and during this time the young boy had settled into a routine. Every morning he rose early and set about whatever job he had been assigned for the day.

Today was no exception and Allen made his way out to the stables where the many horses owned by Miss Urmina were kept. Taking care of the animals was one of the more pleasant jobs that he had been given.

At least with them he had someone to talk to while he worked.

And the danger of injury was minimal.

Grabbing a bucket Allen set about giving the horses their morning ration of grain. The stable was filled with the impatient whinnies of the horses and Allen quickened the pace at which he was working.

Almost as though he thought that the horses were rushing him. Which probably had something to do with the fact that he was so used to being rushed.

Laughter rang out behind him and Allen jumped, surprised to find that he wasn't the only one who had risen before the sun. "You don't have to hurry so much. They're just being impatient."

"Force of habit," Allen muttered as he turned to see Narein standing behind him. "Comes from months spent being yelled at by Master Cross."

"He does seem a little on the harsh side," Narein observed, walking over and filling his own bucket with grain.

"You don't have to help," Allen said quickly, once he realized what the other boy was intending to do. "I've got it under control."

"I can see that," Narein said, offering the white hared boy a good natured smile. "But it'll get done faster if I help you out and then we can go and find something fun to do."

Allen paused in his work to stare at the boy, his gray eyes wide with disbelief. Was Narein actually trying to befriend him?

Was he actually being nice?

Allen automatically gazed down at his reddened left arm; the little half glove that he had taken to wearing covered up the green stone embedded in the back of his hand but it was still plainly obvious that he wasn't normal.

Which usually caused people to avoid him as though he had some contagious disease or something along that line.

And yet Narein didn't seem to mind the fact that he wasn't normal. This had only happened once before and Allen's thoughts briefly flashed back to Mana. His foster father had been the only other person that he'd met who hadn't cared that he was deformed.

Of course Cross had never mentioned his feelings on the subject but Allen couldn't really believe that he didn't care. After all, he cared about everything.

"Don't look so surprised," Narein said as he set about helping Allen to feed the horses. "In case you haven't noticed there aren't really that many people our age around. It's nice to have someone to talk to every once in awhile. Don't you agree?"

Allen nodded, realizing that it really would be nice to have someone his own age to talk to. Actually it would be nice to have someone who didn't yell at him every time that he opened his mouth.

"Good," Narein said, nodding his head. "Then it's decided. Now get back to work so that we can get this done."

"Right," Allen said, not having realized that he'd halted his work to stare at the other boy.

"And stop being so uptight," Narein said with a chuckle. "You can be yourself you know. It's okay."

"Right."

"We'll have to work on that a little bit," Narein said with a sigh.

Together the two boys gave grain to each of the horses. It was a fairly quick process and in no time they were finished with the chore. Putting down his bucket Narein walked over and grabbed a large book from the ground beside the door.

"And look at all the time you saved," the boy said as he opened the door and motioned for Allen to follow him.

"You were right," Allen admitted as he followed Narein out of the stable and across the palace grounds.

"Of course I was right," Narein said, nodding his head. "So what would you like to do?"

Allen shrugged. Having never really been exposed to children his own age the white haired youth had no idea what was considered fun. His life hadn't really left much time for playing, unless you counted the games of poker that he played to earn money.

And those weren't really something that he considered fun. It was more of a survival thing and about as far from a game as it was possible to be.

"I have an idea," Narein said, placing his book underneath a nearby tree. He quickly jogged over to a storage building, returning a few minutes later with a small ball held in his hands. "Catch."

Allen watched as the ball soared toward him, easily catching it in with his right hand.

"Good catch," his companion called out from his position a few yards away. "Now toss it back."

"Okay," Allen said, sending the ball soaring through the air. It sailed right over Narein's head and went rolling across the courtyard.

"That was a lousy toss," Narein commented once he returned from retrieving the ball. "But if you really want to play it that way…"

With this thought Narein gave the ball a mighty toss, attempting to make it sail over Allen's head in the same manner that Allen's toss had sailed over his head. A grin spread across his face however it vanished as he watched the white haired youth leap gracefully into the air and catch the ball.

"How the…" Narein's jaw dropped as Allen threw the ball back to him. He managed to catch it this time but he was still shocked that Allen had caught his deliberately bad throw. "You're really good at this."

"Must come from years of practicing juggling," Allen commented with a shrug. It didn't seem all that impressive to him.

"Were you in the circus or something?" Narein asked as he once again threw the ball in Allen's direction.

Allen did a handspring and caught the ball in mid-air. "Something. My foster father was a traveling performer so he taught me all kinds of tricks to make money on the streets."

"That's amazing," his friend said, his eyes wide as he walked forward. "Do you think you could teach me how to do some of those tricks?"

"Sure," Allen said, happy to have a friend that he could talk to.

So the two boys spent about an hour working on handsprings and, by the end of the lesson, Narein could perform the move. It wasn't exactly as graceful as Allen's but that would come with practice.

"Okay," Narein said, attempting to catch his breath and marveling at the fact that Allen wasn't even winded. "Time to take a break."

"Okay," Allen said.

Narein led the way over to the tree where he'd left his book and sat down beneath the shade of it's leaves. He had enjoyed the time spent with Allen but he knew that it would soon be time to return so his duties.

And he needed to rest a bit before he did that.

Picking up his book he flipped it open to the page where he had stopped reading and began to skim the page. Sitting down beside his friend Allen gazed at the thick book that he was reading.

"What are you reading?" the white haired youth asked curiously.

"It's a medical text," Narein replied, closing the book and showing Allen the cover. "I'm going to become a doctor when I grow up so I spend most of my spare time studying."

"Wow," Allen said. He thought it was great that Narein had set such a high goal for himself and was determined to see it come to pass.

"So what are you going to do when you grow up Allen?"

Allen thought about the question for a minute, not sure how to answer. He had come to realize that most people weren't aware of the Akuma and therefore had no idea what an Exorcist even was. Narein was more than likely no exception so Allen made the decision not to tell his friend the truth. "I haven't decided yet."

"Well you'd better get to it," Narein said with a laugh. "Or else you'll be stuck with the cranky red haired man forever."

Allen shivered at the thought. That was truly a fate worse than death.

A/N - here's another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	18. Almost Normal

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Eighteen - Almost Normal

As the weeks in India progressed Allen fell into a sort of routine. He would get up early and finish his assigned jobs for the day and then he would spend the afternoon with Narein. The other boy also worked in the palace but he worked just as hard as Allen so that the two of them could have a little free time.

And sometimes Mina would have a spare moment and join them. Those were the best times, the times when all three of them could sit together under a shade tree and talk.

It made Allen feel almost normal.

For a moment he could forget about the past that had led him to his current situation; could forget about the fact that he was now fearing that he would be a slave to General Cross for the rest of his life.

Just thinking about this made Allen feel depressed and the white haired youth gazed at the ground and heaved a sigh.

"Hey Allen!"

Allen gazed up at the sound of the by now familiar voice calling out to him and he watched as Narein and Mina walked toward him. A smile spread across his face; seeing those two always made him feel better.

No matter how depressed he was feeling.

"You look so sad," Mina said as she walked up to the spot where the white haired boy was standing. Since he was about the same age as her own younger brother the girl had sort of adopted him as a second brother.

"I'm alright," Allen said, smiling as his two friends came to stand beside him.

"Maybe not right now," Narein said, always the observant one. "But I know something that will cheer you up. Are you finished with your chores for the day?"

Allen nodded, having just finished up with his last job. "Yea. Now I have some free time until this evening."

The boy's voice trailed off there. Neither Narein nor Mina knew what he did in the evenings and he wanted to keep it that way. Allen didn't want to tell them that he went to the local saloon every night and gambled with the money that he earned during the day.

It wasn't that he was embarrassed about it, exactly. It was just that he wasn't sure how his friends would feel about it.

So it was just easier to keep his mouth closed. If they ever asked him about it, then he would tell the truth.

But he was hoping that it never came up.

"Hello?"

Snapping back to reality Allen jumped back as he saw a hand waving dangerously close to his face.

"He was completely out of it," Narein said, laughing at the shocked expression that had appeared on Allen's face.

"Sorry," Allen apologized, regaining his composure.

"It's alright Allen," Mina said, her voice kind. "Since you have some free time we were wondering if perhaps you'd like to come with us on a picnic." As she said this Mina held up a large wicker basket, a smile spreading across her face as she watched Allen's gray eyes light up in surprise and delight.

"Looks like you've captured his attention now," Narein said, reaching out and slapping Allen lightly on the arm. "Come on. We should go since you have plans this evening."

"Alright," Allen said.

Both Narein and Mina smiled at the excited tone that had appeared in Allen's voice. It was true that they hadn't know the white haired boy for very long but none the less they had quickly learned the best way to cheer him up.

Food.

That was the one sure fire way to bring a smile to Allen's face. And Mina never failed to use it to her advantage when her honorary younger brother needed to be cheered up. And he seemed to need cheering up more and more often. That red haired man was hard on him and Mina found herself wanting to cheer him up, to at least make up for the treatment that Allen received from his so called master.

Narein led the way out to a pond that was located near the edge of the palace grounds. There was a large tree near the pond and it was under this tree that Mina spread out a blanket and put down the basket that she carried.

"Alright," Mina said, turning to the two boys who were standing nearby. "Narein's told me that you've been teaching him some acrobatics Allen."

Allen nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Yea."

"Well then," Mina said with a smile. "Show me what you've got. You're going to have to earn your meal today boys."

"That's not fair big sister!" Narein exclaimed, turning wide eyes to his sister.

"You've done nothing but tell me about these tricks that you're learning," Mina said, feeling no sympathy for her brother. "So I think it's only fair that you show them to me. Don't you think that's only fair Allen?"

Allen nodded and, taking a running shot, launched into a series of handsprings. The boy somersaulted away from the pond, paused for a moment, and then did backward handsprings all the way back.

"That was great!" Mina exclaimed, clapping her hands as Allen came to a stop in the exact same spot from which he'd started. Then she turned shining eyes to her brother. "Now it's your turn Narein."

"Fine," Narein said, taking a couple of steps away. "But you're going to be disappointed."

"No I won't," Mina assured him.

Narein nodded and, taking a deep breath, did a couple of handsprings. His were slower than Allen's, and he couldn't do them backwards, but when he finished Mina still applauded just as loudly for him as she had for Allen.

"That was great! Both of you are amazing." Mina smiled broadly and gestured toward the basket. "I suppose you boys have earned your meal. Come on."

She didn't have to tell them twice; the two boys were immediately seated across from her on the blanket.

As Allen ate the meal that Mina had prepared for them he listened as the two siblings spoke of their plans for the future and it brought a smile to his lips.

"I wonder if this is what it's like to be normal," the white haired boy thought to himself, a thoughtful expression in his gray eyes.

It was nice.

Allen enjoyed spending time with Narein and Mina because, while he was with them, he could forget about the horrors of his life. If only just briefly.

And that meant the world to him.

Narein wanted to be a doctor while Mina wanted to be a famous dancers. Both worked hard to achieve their goals and Allen couldn't help but be impressed with their determination.

They knew what they wanted and weren't afraid to go after it. Allen was certain that both of his friends would be great.

Someday.

* * *

"So much for normal," Allen thought to himself as he once again found himself seated at a table in the corner of the local saloon. His face was devoid of emotion, because it was a necessity for poker, but he would rather be almost anywhere.

If only his master's spending habits weren't so out of control.

Reaching out the boy pretended to take cards from the stack, his thoughts still elsewhere. It was a really good things that his poker skills had grown so much that he could almost play in his sleep.

Because his mind definitely wasn't in the game right now.

But that didn't mean that he wasn't going to win. A smile that could only be described as purely evil spread across his face as he gazed at the men who were sitting across from him.

"I call," he announced, spreading out the cards that he held in his hands. "Royal straight flush."

"Son of a…"

Allen smiled as the angry men tossed money down onto the table. They were always so angry when they lost to him but they still came back to play every night. Now to Allen this didn't make much sense but he wasn't going to question it.

After all, this was how he made his living.

Or, to be more precise, this was how he kept Master Cross supplied with cigarettes and alcohol. Which helped to ensure his survival since Cross was downright scary when he was sober and didn't have cigarettes.

Allen shivered involuntarily at the thought. "Scary."

A/N - this chapter is short but it's meant to help build the bond between Allen, Narein and Mina. Hope that you enjoyed.


	19. Bonds of Friendship

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Nineteen - Bonds of Friendship

It was once again time to clean out the chimneys of the palace and Allen found himself lugging a huge ladder toward the building. This was one of his least favorite jobs but he knew that it was just better for him to complete the job without making a big deal out of it.

It was true that climbing on the roof was a dangerous endeavor but it was also true that it would be much more dangerous for him to tell Master Cross that he wasn't going to do it.

Allen sighed as he leaned the ladder up against the palace wall and began to climb, his brush held in an awkward grip. This was the most dangerous part but he somehow managed to scramble up to the roof without incident.

Which the white haired youth considered to be a small miracle in and of its self.

Grabbing the brush Allen made his way over to the first of the many chimneys and began to scrub. Soot rose to fill the air and Allen found himself coughing.

Yet he continued to work because the sooner he got this job done then the sooner he would be able to get down from the roof.

And in this moment that was all that he wanted.

Allen worked in silence for awhile, lost in thought, however as he moved on to yet another chimney the young boy lost his balance. Crying out Allen slid from the room, suddenly finding himself on the ground.

Luckily the roof had been low so the fall hadn't killed him. But that was little compensation as Allen attempted to get to his feet only to be assaulted by pain in his right ankle.

"Ow!" the boy exclaimed as he fought to remain in a standing position. He favored his right ankle and briefly glanced around, searching for someone who could offer him some assistance.

Luckily he saw Narein sitting under a tree, a few yards away.

Sighing to himself Allen began hobbling toward the spot where his friend was sitting, a book spread open on his lap. Narein was studying to be a doctor so Allen was hoping that his friend would be able to help him.

He was also hoping that the injury wasn't serious because Master Cross would be furious if he were out of commission and unable to work.

A shiver ran down his spine at the very thought of having to explain that to his master and he almost fell to the ground again. That didn't even bear thinking on.

"Hey Allen," Narein called out, glancing up from his book as he heard the sound of someone walking toward him. He paused a moment when he took in Allen's appearance; he was covered in soot and it was obvious that he was favoring his right foot. "What happened to you?"

"I was cleaning some chimneys when I fell off the roof," Allen replied, reaching back to rub at the back of his head. He was slightly embarrassed by the cause of his injury but he knew that Narein wouldn't laugh at him. "I think I twisted my ankle."

"Let me see," Narein said, placing his book on the ground and moving closer to Allen. He began to feel the bones of the white haired boy's ankle, checking to make sure that none of the bones were broken.

"Ow!" Allen cried out, clenching his teeth together as Narein's examination caused his ankle to throb in protest. He hadn't expected for his friend to actually make his ankle hurt worse. "Take it easy Narein, my ankle really hurts."

"You'll be okay," Narein assured his friend as he continued to run his hands along Allen's ankle. It was a little swollen but it didn't appear that Allen had done any serious damage to the limb. "A little pain will do you some good. And it doesn't look as though you've broken anything."

For some reason that assessment didn't make Allen feel any better but that could have something to do with the fact that Narein had actually increased his pain. But Allen none the less offered him a smile. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Narein said, gesturing toward the ground beside him. "Sit down for a minute and rest that ankle of yours."

Nodding his head Allen sat down beside Narein, leaning his back up against the large tree. The shade felt nice after the heat of the sun and the boy closed his eyes, enjoying the peaceful moment.

Narein smiled as he listened to the sound of Allen's breathing even out. The other boy had actually fallen asleep, sitting in the shade under the tree.

Chuckling softly to himself Narein went back to his book, deciding to let Allen sleep for awhile. After all the white haired boy had been working several jobs, plus he disappeared every night.

Narein still had no idea where Allen went in the evenings but he could tell that his friend didn't really want to talk about it. Which made him bite back his curiosity and refrain from asking the question, even though he was dying to know the answer.

But even without asking Narein was fairly certain that it had something to do with that red haired master of his. After all, nearly all of the trauma that Allen suffered was due to that man.

"I really hope he gets away from that guy soon," Narein thought to himself as he continued to read his medical text.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set beyond the horizon when Allen finally awoke from his nap. His eyes fluttered for a moment and then Allen attempted to jump to his feet, the reality of the time finally hitting him.

Unfortunately he'd forgotten all about his injured ankle. It violently protested this sudden weight and the boy's leg buckled, sending him back to the ground.

"Whoa," Narein said, focusing large eyes on Allen. "Calm down. Where exactly are you off to in such a hurry?"

"I have to go," Allen said, his gray eyes downcast. He didn't want to tell Narein that he needed to hurry to the saloon so that he could get in on the poker game but… "Okay. I go to the local saloon every evening and bet my earnings at poker. The money's way better than the part time jobs that I work."

"I see," Narein said, nodding his head as he gazed at his friend. Just as he'd figured, it had everything to do with that red haired man. Getting to his feet Narein offered his hand to the other boy. "Well come on then. I'll help you get there."

"Narein… I…"

"Don't worry about it Allen," Narein said as he helped his friend to his feet. "It's alright. I understand why you gamble and I don't think any less of you for it."

"Thank you." A small smile spread across Allen's face as he leaned against his friend and allowed Narein to support part of his weight. He hadn't expected for Narein to be so understanding and couldn't deny the fact that he was somewhat surprised.

Was this what it was like to have a real friend? Someone who knew your flaws and liked you all the same.

Allen found that he liked this feeling of acceptance and he was incredibly grateful to Narein for sticking by him. He vowed that, if he were ever put in a similar situation, he would do the same thing for his friend.

Narein helped his friend walk the distance to the local saloon and together the two boys walked to a table in the back. Allen sat down in his customary spot and Narein took a seat beside him.

"You don't have to stay," Allen said in a quiet voice, gazing at Narein out of the corner of his eye even as he watched his usual poker opponents walking toward him. "It's okay."

"I'm not leaving," Narein said, his voice determined. There was absolutely no way that he was going to leave his injured friend alone in a place like this. If anything happened there was absolutely no way that Allen would be able to get away.

"So I see you're back again," a large man said as he and his friends sat down at the table. He pulled a deck of cards from his pocket and slammed it down on the table. "This time I'm going to beat you."

"Right," Allen said, the aura around him suddenly turning dark. He wasn't sure what caused it but it was almost as if something took over when he played poker.

And he absolutely refused to lose.

Seeing that his words weren't having any affect on the kid the man gave up that tactic. The cards were dealt and the game began.

Narein watched as his friend played against the group of men and he was amazed at the level of skill that Allen was demonstrating. He had always thought that the white haired boy was the most unlucky person on the planet but he seemed amazingly lucky tonight.

Which came as something of a shock to Narein. As did the dark look on the normally cheerful boy's face.

"Wow," he thought to himself. "Allen has a dark side. Who would have thought?"

A/N - and here's another chapter with Allen and Narein. The next one is the one that I've been dreading so yea. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter.


	20. Sadness

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Twenty - Sadness

Allen and his master had been in India for nearly six months, which was something of a record for them. Allen chalked this up to the fact that Master Cross had found someone rich to leech off of. That had to be the sole reason why the bill collectors hadn't chased them out of the country as had happened so many times in the past.

And of course Allen's nightly trips to the saloon to play poker were helping the cause as well, much to the boy's dismay.

Having once again staked all of his earnings at the poker table Allen was making his way back to the palace where he and his master had been staying. He wasn't in an overly good mood, having worked all day and then gambled late into the night, and his irritation only increased when he felt a hand reach out from an alley and seize him by the arm.

The boy yelped as he was dragged forcefully into the alleyway and pressed up against a wall however most of his fears dissipated when he realized who it was that had grabbed him.

It was Master Cross.

The red haired general had one hand pressed against the wall beside Allen's head and was holding out his other hand. And it was painfully obvious to Allen what it was that he wanted. Even without words his intent was crystal clear to his young charge.

Cross wanted the money that he had earned playing poker.

Resisting the urge to curse Allen reached into his pocket and pulled out his winnings, which Cross snatched without so much as a word. He held the bills clenched tightly in his hand and gazed at the boy who was leaning up against a wall.

"Master," Allen said, tired of always having to earn money to support Cross' habits and finally irritated to say something about it. He was supposed to be training to become an Exorcist, not paying off the man's numerous debts. "How much longer do you plan on making me do this? Let's not forget that it was you who asked me to become an Exorcist. Yet here we are, over a year later, and I still haven't trained for one minute."

There was a slightly irritated tone in the young boy's voice as he spoke these words and yet the expression on Cross' face didn't change in the slightest.

"I see," Cross said, leaning slightly closer to the white haired boy who's back was pressed against the wall. "So you think you're ready for training huh?"

At that moment a scream was heard echoing through the night air. Allen's eyes widened in surprise as he glanced up and saw an Akuma floating in the sky. And, even though he saw it as well, Cross' expression still did not change.

Now during Allen's travels with Cross he had encountered Akuma on numerous occasions but he hadn't fought against them even once. The only time that he'd ever engaged in battle with an Akuma had been that fateful night when he'd brought Mana back and that was a memory that he tried desperately not to dwell on.

"Here's your chance kiddo."

Allen's gaze shifted to his master, a surprised look in his gray eyes. Had he heard his master's words correctly?

Surely not.

"How 'bout you show me what you've got?" There was something similar to a smile on the man's face but it looked sinister somehow.

"Now?" Allen's voice was somewhat shaky as he asked this question.

As though in answer to the question General Cross grabbed his apprentice by the shirt collar and tossed him out of the alley. Allen landed in the street with a thud, somewhat shocked.

Forcing himself to look up into the sky Allen saw that there were about ten Akuma hovering above the town and the full horror of his situation hit home. There were so many of them. "What?" the boy exclaimed. "This is impossible."

The Akuma pointed their guns in the direction of the new arrival, preparing to open fire on the white haired boy.

Allen managed to scramble to his feet a split second before the Akuma opened fire and the boy miraculously managed to dodge the bullets. But as the Akuma continued to fire in his direction Allen wasn't certain how much longer he could keep out running them.

"Help me!"

Allen screamed as a bullet exploded just behind him, knocking him forward and causing him to tumble head over heels along the street. The boy landed on his chest but quickly raised up to glance back at his master.

Who was sitting beside a building sipping wine as though his apprentice wasn't currently involved in a life or death battle with a horde of Akuma.

"He's crazy," Allen muttered as he took in this unbelievable sight. Then he raised his voice, it's tone somewhat plaintive. "Master Cross please help me. There's no way I can take on that many."

Bullets began to fly once more and Allen was again forced to run for his life. The boy ran around in a circle, frantically dodging the bullets.

General Cross glanced casually at this scene, remaining in his position. Honestly, he couldn't believe that the brat was so stupid, running around like that. Why couldn't he use his brain for once? "You're not going to get very far fighting empty handed. Lucky for you there's an Anti-Akuma weapon inside that body of yours. Maybe you should try using it, yes?"

Allen glanced back out of the corner of his eye as he heard these words from his master. "Anti-Akuma weapon…" he repeated to himself, coming to a halt as his gaze shifted to his left hand. "Of course."

Whirling to face the Akuma who were pursuing him the boy held up his left hand, the one that had been deformed his entire life. He knew that this was what had destroyed Mana and he was hoping that it would do the same thing now.

Because if it didn't then he was most likely a dead man.

With a determined expression in his gray eyes Allen held up his hand but, unfortunately for him, nothing happened. The boy's eyes widened in surprise. "Nothing happened. What's wrong with it?"

The Akuma were growing closer and his so called Anti-Akuma weapon was refusing to cooperate. This was not a good sign and Allen couldn't make his legs stop shaking.

And as he focused his complete attention on the Akuma for the first time he once again saw the familiar sight of the soul that was bound to it. And this sight did not help matters in the slightest.

"That's creepy," he gasped, once again turning away from the Akuma and running. The bullets were getting closer and closer and Allen had no idea how much longer he could keep running. "I guess this is it. I'm gonna die in my first training session."

The boy screamed as he was once again knocked off his feet and he rolled across the ground. The wind was knocked out of him and all the boy could do was watch as the Akuma approached him.

Sighing in displeasure General Cross got to his feet and flipped open the side of his coat. Pulling out his Anti-Akuma firearm he took a couple of steps toward the group of Akuma that was about to finish off his apprentice. He had half a mind not to save the kid but if the brat died here then all the time Cross had spent with him would have been for nothing.

And that was unacceptable.

Pointing the gun in the direction of the Akuma he pulled the trigger, sending a volley of bullets in their direction.

Allen clenched his eyes closed as the night sky was lit up by a bright light and he listened as the group of Akuma exploded. He knew what had happened, knew that his master had saved him, and for a moment he felt a new respect for the man.

Glancing back he watched as Master Cross walked toward him.

"Aw, you're pathetic." There was disgust in the man's voice as he snapped at his apprentice. "For punishment you must earn twice as much from here on out. Starting tomorrow."

And with that Cross walked away, leaving his young charge kneeling in the street. He didn't even seem concerned over whether or not the boy was injured.

Allen felt the new respect vanish as he watched his master walk away. First the man had forced him to fight a battle that he'd had no chance of winning and then he'd yelled at him for failing.

Allen sighed, feeling the familiar depression enveloping him once more. Was he doomed to always be under Cross' thumb? Was there any hope of escape?

* * *

The next day, hoping to relieve some of his depression, Allen made his way to the small house where Narein and Mina lived. Seeing the two of them always made him feel better and he desperately needed some cheering up.

Walking into the house Allen was shocked to see Narein kneeling in front of a coffin. A sad expression appeared in his eyes as he realized that Mina had passed away.

Narein was holding a large book in his hands, tears falling onto the leather bound cover. "It's my sister. She went into town… to buy a book for me. A monster appeared and everyone started to panic. Then the building collapsed… on top of her. I've looked through all my books but I can't find anything about how I can revive her. I've read so many pages about medicine but there's nothing I can do for her. My sister's never coming back."

Tears appeared in Allen's eyes as he listened to Narein's tortured words. He understood loss and knew that his friend was suffering a great deal.

And he didn't know what to do about it. He didn't know of anything that he could say that would make his friend feel better.

A/N - I was going to write the whole thing in one chapter but then I decided to break it up. So here's the first part and the next part should be out soon. Hope that you enjoyed.


	21. Broken Bonds

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Twenty-One - Broken Bonds

Allen had put together a basket with flowers and candles, to honor Mina, and now he was on his way to the river. He knew that this would be where he would find Narein because whenever a local died their body was cremated and their ashes were placed in the river.

He knew that Narein would be standing vigil for Mina and he wanted to offer his friend whatever comfort he could.

The youth hadn't know what to say to his friend when he'd first learned of Mina's death. He had never been really good about expressing emotion as it was and Narein's grief over Mina had brought back terrible memories of the day that he had lost Mana.

However now Allen had managed to pull himself together and he was making his way to the river with his gift of flowers. He would offer Narein what comfort he could. The sun was already beginning to sink toward the horizon when Allen began his trip to the river but he knew that he would find Narein still there.

The white haired youth slowly made his way to the river and as he drew closer he saw Narein standing beside the river as expected, staring off into the distance. Having lost someone import to him Allen could completely understand his friends feelings and he came to stand beside Narein.

"Hey Narein," Allen said in a subdued voice. "I brought this… for Mina."

The brown haired boy turned around as Allen approached and there was a dead look in his eyes, which were pointed toward the ground. His gaze shifted upward, toward the offering that Allen had brought, and his eyes widened.

"Why thank you Allen. Thanks a lot."

There was something off about Narein's voice and Allen could feel his pulse rate quicken. He couldn't help but feel that something was wrong with this situation and there was a small voice screaming out that he knew what the problem was. But Allen refused to acknowledge this voice.

A chill wind began to blow, extinguishing the lights from the candles, and Narein chuckled softly.

A demented sound that made Allen's blood run cold.

"No," he thought to himself as he continued to stare at the first person that he had ever been able to call friend. "You can't be."

And yet in response to this denial Allen's cursed eye activated and he was able to see the soul that was protruding from the body that had once belonged to Narein. He didn't want to believe it, wanted desperately to deny what had happened.

"It's true." The sound of this familiar voice caused Allen to gasp. He hadn't realized that Master Cross was anywhere near. "He is an Akuma."

Allen felt his hands go numb at hearing these words from his master and he didn't even make an attempt to prevent the fall of the basket that was slipping from his grasp. He merely stood numbly and allowed it to crash to the ground, where it shattered and scattered flower petals.

"I became concerned when you told me that he was grieving over the unfortunate loss of his sister." Allen remembered that conversation; his master had practically forced the information out of him the day that he had learned of Mina's death. "It's just as I thought. The Millennium Earl paid him a visit after all."

"Wait," Allen said, continuing to stare at his friend. "The Millennium Earl?"

His thoughts involuntarily flashed back to the day that he himself had met the Earl and he felt yet another chill sweep over his body.

Narein's gaze was downcast once more, making it impossible to see his face, not that Allen really wanted to see that expression in his friend's eyes again. The demented smile that he was wearing was bad enough.

"The Earl preys upon people who are weak with sorrow…" Allen registered the fact that Master Cross was still speaking and he fought to understand the man's words through the haze of his own grief. "and turns them into Akuma. New mourning gives birth to new Akuma. In order to break that chain it is our duty as Exorcists to destroy every Akuma that roams the earth. Now do it Allen, destroy the Akuma that stands before you."

Allen's gray eyes widened in further horror as he heard these words, this order from his master. This wasn't something that he wanted to do. How could he destroy someone that he had called friend?

"What? Impossible…" His body shaking the white haired youth took a couple of steps back, away from Narein. "I can't do that."

Seemingly in response to this Narein took a couple of steps toward Allen, who proceeded to take just as many steps back, away from his friend. "I can't do it… that's Narein. I… he's my friend. I can't kill him… I won't."

The sound of crunching could be heard as Narein stepped upon the remains of the flower basket as he made his way toward Allen. His movements were somewhat mechanical and the demented smile remained on his face.

"Your friend is already dead." There was a harshness to Cross' voice as he stated these words. "He's an Akuma who is wearing Narein's skin. Nothing more, nothing less."

At this moment the flesh of Narein's back began to move and Allen gazed on in horror as the Akuma burst forth.

"Allen you have to destroy it."

It was an order, Allen fully realized this fact. And yet at the same time he knew that he didn't want to raise his hand against his friend. Narein had been the first person who ever treated him like a normal person and now Master Cross expected him to kill him.

As the Akuma rose into the air, it's guns pointing toward him, Allen turned and made a move to run.

"Stop!"

Allen halted mid-step, his body still trembling.

"Don't run. It's your duty to break the chain of sorrow Allen. Do it."

"Sorrow…" Allen whispered turning to face the Akuma that had emerged from Narein's body. For the first time since joining with Master Cross the white haired youth had the courage to actually look at the Akuma and…

Allen gasped as he saw that the soul was actually crying.

"The soul is crying," the boy thought to himself, seeing the image of Mina in the distorted features that had appeared before him. "It's Mina. All Akuma are grieving…" Allen's eyes took on a determined appearance as he realized this fact for perhaps the first time. "They feel horrible for allowing themselves to be turned into weapons and are crying for help."

Having found his resolve Allen grasped the partial glove that he wore over his left hand, to conceal his anti-Akuma weapon. Grasping it tightly in his hand he pulled it off and clenched his left hand into a fist.

"The only way I can alleviate that pain and purify it is destroying the Akuma and releasing their soul."

The thought still horrified Allen but the youth knew that it was what he had to do. He couldn't allow Mina to suffer any more because of what had been done to her.

"I have no other choice!"

Allen's left arm transformed into the very same weapon that had appeared that evening in the cemetery and he gazed up at the Akuma, determination glowing in his eyes.

"Bring forth salvation… to this tormented Akuma's soul."

General Cross watched as his apprentice leapt into the air and sliced the Akuma in half with one swipe of his left arm. His expression didn't change even though he knew that he had just forced Allen to destroy someone that he had once considered a friend.

Allen landed on the ground and tears began to flow from his eyes as he heard the sound of the Akuma exploding behind him. "Rest in peace, Mina."

Sorrow filled the young boy's eyes as he thought about the two people who had treated him as a friend. Both of them were gone now and he was once again completely alone. He remained in a crouching position, attempting to come to terms with the emotions that were assaulting him.

"Mina… and Narein."

Once the Akuma had been destroyed Cross made his way closer to the spot where his apprentice was crouching. "How was it? Tell me exactly how it felt to destroy an Akuma for the first time."

"It was hard… so hard," Allen replied in a shaky voice. "Because my friends… still aren't coming back to me."

"That's something that you're going to have to get used to."

Allen's gaze shifted to his master and fire snapped within their gray depths. How dare he say something like that?

Cross was completely unaffected by the glaring look of the boy. "Because if you can't then the life of an Exorcist is not for you."

Allen's gaze went to the ground once more, sorrow consuming him.

"Good work today…" Completely ignoring the sorrow that was plainly written on the boy's face Cross turned and began to walk away. "Considering that it was your first time you did exceptionally well.

Allen clenched his eyes together as the tears once again began to stream from his eyes. His master said that he had done a good job so why did he feel so lousy?

"I have to continue down this path," Allen thought to himself as he wiped the tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "For everyone is suffering, I will become an Exorcist."

The faces of Mana, Narein and Mina appeared in his mind, strengthening his resolve. This was the path that he had chosen and this was the path that he would stick with.

Not matter what.

Keep moving forward… never stop.

A/N - there, I wrote it and it was depressing. Allen gets to do some actual training in the next chapter and battles with Akuma shall pick up from this point on. Hope that you enjoyed the chapter.


	22. Move On

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Twenty-Two - Moving On

Mere days had passed since the deaths of both Narein and Mina when Cross informed his rather depressed apprentice that the two of them were leaving India. Allen only nodded briefly, in acknowledgement of his master's words, and then made his way to his room to prepare for their departure. He was still reeling from the loss of the first two people that he had been able to call friend and didn't much care that they were leaving or, for that matter, where they were going.

"I should have known that something was going to happen," Allen thought to himself miserably as he packed up his meager possessions in preparation for this newest move. He had seen Narein that day, before anything happened, so why hadn't he known that the Earl was going to make an appearance. He should have expected it. He's experienced similar grief after losing Mana so why hadn't he known what was going to happen? "Why did I let it happen?"

At that moment Allen felt something nudging against the side of his head and as he turned he saw that Timcanpy had somehow gotten into the room.

The little golem reached out with one wing, touching the side of Allen's head as though trying to comfort him.

"Hey Tim," Allen said in a quiet and somewhat shaky voice. He wasn't exactly sure how but it seemed that the golem always knew when he was upset and seemed to make an effort to cheer him up.

A loud knock on the door caused Allen to jump slightly. "Are you ready yet brat?"

"So much for him using my name," Allen muttered to himself as he heaved his small bag over his shoulder and got to his feet. Cross had gone back to his normal, cranky self in the time that had passed since he had forced his apprentice to end the existence of his friend.

Not that Allen had really expected anything different from the harsh man. He had been completely shocked by the fact that Master Cross had actually remembered his name, since he never used it, and had known that it wouldn't become an every day occurrence. "He lives to make my life miserable," the boy thought to himself as he opened the door and came face to face with the irritated general.

"It's about damn time," Cross growled as he turned away and began making his way down the hall. "Get a move on idiot apprentice."

"Yes… master," Allen said, falling into step behind the man.

* * *

Travel was rough that day as Cross seemed to be in a great hurry to get as far away from India as possible. Which didn't really make any sense to Allen since Cross had been mooching off of the Lady Urmina so they weren't in debt.

At least not that he was aware of.

And in the case of Master Cross' debts Allen was usually in the loop since he was the one who always had to pay them. And the red haired general hadn't mentioned owing money to anyone so why exactly were they making such a hasty retreat?

Not that Allen had either the time nor the inclination to pose this question to his master. His thoughts were still occupied with guilt over the death of his friend and it was all he could do to keep himself moving.

"Keep moving forward… never stop… until the day you die."

The parting words that Mana had left him with rang in Allen's mind with perfect clarity. This was the path that he had chosen for himself, the path of an Exorcist, and the white haired youth knew that he had to keep moving down that path.

For Mana…

For Narein and Mina…

For everyone who was suffering due to the Millennium Earl's evil creations.

Allen would continue down the path to becoming an Exorcist so that he could save all of those who were suffering. That was the promise that he had made to Mana and it was a promise that he intended to keep.

No matter the cost.

This thought was interrupted when Allen suddenly bumped into Cross, who had came to a dead stop in the road. The boy yelped in pain, grabbing his nose and gazing up at his master.

Cross was gazing off into the distance and it soon became all too obvious what he was staring at.

Allen's cursed eye activated as a group of Akuma appeared over the tree tops. He quickly focused his gaze on the approaching enemy and the boy drew in a sharp breath as his gaze fell upon the Akuma, quickly coming to rest on the souls that were trapped.

Trapped and in pain.

"Allen."

The white haired youth's gaze shifted once more to the face of his master. He still found it rather odd to be addressed by his actual name by this man and his wide eyes showed his shock. "Yes master?"

"Destroy them."

And with these words Cross stepped to the side, effectively telling his apprentice that he had absolutely no intention of helping him with the battle. He was expected to fight and destroy the Akuma alone.

Allen felt a momentary flash of panic rise up, causing his chest to tighten, however the boy quickly pushed this feeling to the side. For the souls that were trapped inside the Akuma he would destroy them.

He would free them from this torment.

Reaching down Allen quickly removed the little half glove that he used to cover his hand and held it up. A brief flash of green could be seen before the boy's arm shifted into the weapon that could be used to destroy the Earl's tortured playthings. "Bring forth salvation to this tormented Akuma's soul."

And with these words Allen tensed his muscles and leapt into the air. With a swipe of his hand the first Akuma was sliced in half and it exploded in a flash of fire and smoke. Allen quickly moved on to the next and, in a matter of minutes, the group of four Akuma had been defeated.

Allen inclined his head ever so slightly as the souls ascended to heaven, feeling a brief flutter of happiness for the first time in days. This was truly the correct path, the boy was now more sure of this fact than ever.

Those four souls were now at peace and Allen found himself wanting to help more Akuma. Found himself wanting to hone his skills so that he could free all of the souls that had been bound by the Earl.

Saying nothing of the battle that the boy had just won Cross merely began walking again. But that didn't matter to Allen; he didn't need the praise of his master in order to keep himself on this path.

He had made the decision to keep moving and that was what he was going to do.

"I'm doing this for you Mana," the boy thought to himself, his gray eyes turned skyward as he thought about the man who had taken him in when no one else had wanted him. "And for all of the tortured souls. I will bring them salvation."

And with this thought in mind Allen continued along behind his master. This renewed resolve brought him a comfort that he had desperately needed and, although he was still sad about the loss of his friends, Allen knew that he could move on past this tragedy.

He would become an Exorcist and through that atone for the sin that he had committed.

A/N - hope that you enjoyed this chapter, even though it was short. Please be kind and leave a review. And thank you to everyone who has reviewed the story thus far. You guys are all amazing!


	23. Sword and Shield

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Twenty-Three - Sword and Shield

A couple of months had passed since the tragic passing of Allen's friends Narein and Mina and, during this time, Allen had developed a sort of routine. He was still expected to pay off the massive debts that his master seemed to accumulate with no trouble but now, on top of that, he had to fight the Akuma whenever they happened to show up.

At first Allen was terrified when engaging in battle because, although he was determined to save the souls that were trapped inside or the Earl's playthings, the fact remained that he was still a novice when it came to battle.

As time passed however the boy began to grow more confident in his skills and, a small part of him hoped that, if he ever got into a situation he couldn't handle, his master would save him.

A very small part of him.

The other, larger, part of him had doubts about whether Master Cross would chose to help him. He was inclined to believe that his master would most likely simply stand by and watch as he was killed by he sincerely hoped that this wasn't the case.

Cross and Allen were once again traveling, this time having found themselves in Germany, and the red haired general came to a halt as he heard the sound of something rustling behind them. Both he and Allen turned just in time to witness a very strange looking creature, looking almost like a cross between a human and a bird, emerge from the forest, followed along by several of the normal variety of Akuma.

Allen's cursed eye immediately activated and he saw souls emerging from not only the Akuma but the other creature as well. "What is that thing?" he asked, his gaze briefly shifting to his master.

"A level two," Cross replied, his hand going to the butt of Judgment.

"L… level two?" Allen repeated, having never heard of such a thing. So this was an Akuma, but one unlike anything that he had previously seen.

"It's the next step on the evolutionary chain," Cross said, his hand still resting on the butt of his Anti-Akuma firearm. "What are you standing around for idiot apprentice? Go over there and destroy them."

Allen swallowed around the lump that had appeared in his throat but he nodded none the less and removed the little half glove that was partially covering his left hand. He wasn't certain that he could destroy the group of Akuma that stood before him but he was determined that he would try.

For Mana…

And for everyone else who was trapped in that hellish existence.

"Bring forth salvation," the boy murmured as he activated his Anti-Akuma weapon and leapt toward the Akuma.

"Ex…or…cists…"

Allen drew up short as he heard the word spoken from the Akuma but soon managed to get a grip on himself. Deciding that it would be better to take out the weaker Akuma first Allen dodged around the Level Two, holding up his claws as he did so.

Many battles with Akuma had helped the white haired youth to hone his skills and he decided to use a technique that he had only learned recently.

"Cross Grave!"

With a downward motion Allen carved a cross on the first Akuma that he came to; a design which quickly spread to the three remaining low level Akuma. The boy had never tried this move on so many, having only used it on two Akuma in the past, but he was betting everything on it's success.

The ground shook as the group of Akuma simultaneously exploded, leaving only the Level Two. The bird-like creature roared it's displeasure and launched its self toward Allen. The boy managed to block the first attack and for a few minutes he and the Level Two danced around one another, neither able to land a killing blow.

With a mighty flap of the wings on it's back the bird-like Level Two flew toward Allen, a murderous gleam in it's eyes. Raising his left arm Allen managed to block the attack but he was knocked to the ground by the sheer force behind it.

With a yelp the white haired boy rolled head over heels, landing up against a tree a few yards away.

A split second later, before Allen had time to recover, the Level Two opened it's beak-like mouth to reveal a gun.

With a foul curse General Cross pulled Judgment from the holster that he wore at his side but he wasn't fast enough. Both he and the Level Two fired at the same time and both found their targets.

The Level Two exploded at the same instant that Allen issued a little gasp of pain. Gazing down at his shoulder the white haired youth saw a bullet hole and then he cried out as his body suddenly felt as though it were on fire from the inside out.

Still cursing with each breath Cross strode over to his apprentice and ripped the boy's shirt open, revealing the wound. It wasn't really a serious looking wound and if it had been from a normal gun the boy would probably have recovered with nothing more than a small scar.

Unfortunately the poison contained within the Akuma's weapons guaranteed that this would not be the case.

Already the small black pentacles were beginning to spread across the boy's pale flesh, multiplying in a matter of seconds.

"I… I'm going to die aren't I?" Allen asked, feeling the burning sensation begin to grow worse as the pentacles rose to cover more of his skin.

Cross had often said that if his apprentice was going to die then it had sure as hell better be at the hands of an Akuma. But at this point he almost wished that he hadn't made this statement so damn much. There was a glaring look in his one visible red eye as he gazed at the brat who was leaning up against the tree, as though the boy had gotten himself shot on purpose. His breathing had quickened and his eyes were closed, both an attempt to cope with the pain.

His skin was an ashen color at this point, having been fully enveloped by the spreading virus.

It wouldn't be long now.

"Allen…" Cross began, his voice a measure softer than normal.

"Hmm?" Allen's voice gave barely a hint of the pain that he was enduring but at the same time the boy kept his eyes clenched tightly closed.

Cross opened his mouth to say something but he was interrupted when the boy's left arm began to glow. At the same instance it was as though the virus began to retreat upward. The boy's skin returned to normal as the ashen color seemed to be sucked into the strange pentacle that was carved above the boy's left eye.

The general's eyes widened as he witnessed this strange event, having never seen anything like it before. It seemed as though the brat's Innocence had forced the virus out of his body.

Perhaps that was a special ability of parasitic type Exorcists… Thinking back to the days that he had spent with Maria he couldn't recall ever hearing her mention anything about such a skill but then again they hadn't really spent much time talking about their work.

Both had wanted to forget it as much as possible.

Allen gasped as he felt the burning sensation slowly recede, starting at the tips of his cursed hand and moving up toward his left eye. Within the span of only a few minutes Allen felt as though nothing had happened, except for a dull ache in his shoulder.

"What just happened?" he asked, gazing up at his master with wide gray eyes.

"It would appear that arm of yours makes you immune to the virus," Cross said, getting to his feet and stepping away from the boy. "Which means that you have an important role to fulfill."

"What's that?" Allen asked as he got to his feet, wincing slightly as he moved his right arm.

"You must be both sword and shield," Cross said in his customary gruff tone of voice. "Which means taking the bullet for someone else should the need ever arise."

"Right," Allen said, determination shining in his stormy eyes.

A/N - and there's the end of yet another chapter. Hope that you enjoyed this one.


	24. Maria

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Twenty-Four - Maria

After leaving India master and apprentice once again found themselves in Europe, this time coming to stay in France. Now this wasn't the first time that Allen had visited the country since he and Mana had performed there but it would turn out to be memorable.

Because on this trip he would learn of the fact that his master was an Exorcist who was in possession of not one but two Anti-Akuma weapons.

Something that Allen hadn't even realized was possible.

It was late when the two travelers arrived in a small town in the south of France so for once Allen wasn't immediately sent out to find a job. Which the boy thought was a small blessing but was grateful for none the less.

Cross rented a room at a local boarding house and then promptly set about getting drunk.

Allen shook his head as his master drank glass after glass of wine but the boy knew enough not to comment on the man's actions. It wouldn't end well and he had no desire to get hit in the back of the head.

He'd suffered far more than his share of trauma in his rather short life and wanted to avoid more unnecessary pain. So he kept his mouth shut as Master Cross drank himself into a stupor.

"Hey brat…"

"Yes master?" Allen said, turning his gray eyed gaze in the man's direction. Now it wasn't as though he liked being referred to as brat but it wasn't something that he could do anything about so it was best to just go with it.

"You'd best get some rest," Cross muttered, his speech somewhat slurred due to the large amount of alcohol that he had already consumed. "Because we're going to do some serious training first thing in the morning."

For his part Allen was fairly certain that Master Cross wouldn't be doing anything first thing in the morning, aside from maybe nursing a hangover, but he merely nodded his head. And he had every intention of going to bed early on the off chance that his master really was capable of following through with this threat.

Chuckling darkly to himself Cross went back to drinking, enjoying the taste of the wine. That was one of the good things about France; the wine was always good. There were other good things as well and Cross intended to take advantage of those at a later date.

"What kind of training could he possibly have in mind?" Allen thought to himself as he prepared for bed. His master had never actually given him any training so the young boy was at a loss as to why that was going to change now that he had began fighting Akuma.

Master Cross tossed him into the line of fire any time that the two of them were attacked by Akuma so why was he just now deciding that Allen needed training? It didn't make any sense and the white haired youth was suspicious.

"I have the feeling that I'm not going to enjoy this," he thought to himself with a sigh.

Of course this wasn't really anything new for the young Exorcist in training. He didn't particularly enjoy anything involving Cross; he merely coped.

Which was what he would have to do until the day that he became a full fledged Exorcist. That was the day that Allen was working toward because that was the day when he would escape his master forever.

And he would just have to survive and cope until then.

* * *

The sun was just barely peaking through the partially closed curtains the next morning when Allen felt someone violently shaking him. Opening his eyes the boy gazed up into the disgruntled face of his master.

And screamed.

"Shut up brat!" Cross snapped as he took a step back away from the boy. "And get your ass up. We, and by we I mean you, have work to do."

Allen was astonished that his master was actually up and appeared to be fairly hangover free. This was something that he admittedly hadn't been expecting and he was more than a little shocked.

But he managed to hide this emotion as he scrambled out of bed and quickly got dressed. He couldn't shake the feeling that this day was going to bring new horrors the likes of which he could only imagine and Allen felt a chill run down his spine.

Nothing good could come of the fact that Master Cross wanted to train him.

"I'm probably going to die," the boy muttered darkly to himself as he followed Cross out of their room at the boarding house.

This thought haunted the young boy as Master Cross led the way out of town, toward a dense forest that they had traveled through to get to the town. As he walked Allen couldn't get rid of the nagging voice in the back of his mind that was telling him that Cross was only taking him out into the middle of nowhere so that it would be easier to hide the body.

"Why do things like this always happen to me?"

This was as far as Allen could go with this thought process as Cross came to an abrupt halt, turning to face his apprentice with what could only be described as a sadistic gleam in his one visible eye.

"Alright idiot apprentice," Cross said, reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket. "I hope that you're prepared for this."

All Allen could do was stare, his eyes twice as large as normal, as his master pulled something from his pocket. The item that the Exorcist General withdrew appeared to be some kind of little black box, wrapped with a thin golden chain.

Now Allen was even more confused than before.

"Um… master," the boy said, hesitancy evident in his voice. He wasn't sure how his master would react to the question but he simply had to ask. Curiosity was overwhelming all other feelings. "What exactly is that?"

"You'll see," was all the reply that Cross offered as he carefully placed the little box down on the ground.

The care that he took in placing the box on the ground seemed strange to Allen but he didn't ask any further questions. Knowing that he would only get the same answer the young boy kept his gaze focused on the box.

Waiting to see what would happen next.

Holding his hands over the box Cross began to recite a series of strange words, which Allen had never heard before. It didn't really make any sense to the boy, sounding more like gibberish than anything else.

"He's finally lost it," Allen thought to himself but was forced to change his mind as the small black box suddenly began to grow in size.

And as it grew Allen realized something that he hadn't before. It wasn't a box… it was a coffin.

Or at least that's what it looked like to Allen.

"No," the white haired youth thought to himself, shaking his head. "Not even Master Cross is that deranged."

Cross smirked as he watched the various emotions play out in the eyes of his idiot apprentice. He could practically see the wheels turning in the brat's mind and was forced to admit that he was enjoying this.

Reaching out Cross began to unwind the chain that held the coffin closed and then, once the chain had been removed, the Exorcist General held out his hands and began a different chant.

Allen's gaze was focused on the black box, hoping against hope that it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Grave of Maria Activate!"

The moment that Cross completed his chant the box opened and… out stepped a woman. Or at least that's what it appeared to be at first glance however Allen's searching gaze soon spied the fact that this woman had one fake arm.

Like a doll's arm.

"What is that?" Allen exclaimed, taking a step back, away from the thing that had just emerged from the box.

Still smirking Cross replied, "This is Maria. She's going to help you train."

"But…" Allen sputtered, taking another step back. "Is she… I mean…"

"She's dead," Cross said casually, as though they were discussing the weather and not a corpse that he kept bound and stored in a box. "Her body is at any rate. Her Anti-Akuma weapon however is very much alive."

"A… Anti-Akuma weapon…"

"Correct," Cross said, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting the end. He took a casual drag of the cigarette before turning his attention back to Maria. "Carte Garde Activate!"

In response to this command the woman, who's face was covered by a mask that somewhat resembled a butterfly, opened her mouth and began to sing.

Allen was now completely and utterly confused by this situation as well as disturbed to a degree. He had known that his master was unique to the world but even he hadn't realized that the man was so crazy.

But he was about to find out just how crazy his master truly was.

Raising his hand Cross suddenly leapt toward his apprentice, completely startling the young boy. But not half as much as the fact that he seemed to have lost the ability to control his own body.

Try as he might he simply couldn't move. Allen found himself completely powerless to block or even to dodge the impending attack. All he could do was stare and hope that Master Cross was bluffing.

Which of course he wasn't.

"Really should have known better," Allen thought to himself as he was knocked through the air by the force of the blow. The boy landed in a heap on the ground a few feet away but was unable to get to his feet due to the fact that he still couldn't move.

"What's happening?" he growled, his eyes focused on his master. They seemed to be the only part of his body that he could move and he wanted to know why.

"This is Maria's ability," Cross explained with a chuckle. He was greatly amused by the boy's confusion and decided that this had been a good idea.

Something flashed through Allen's mind and he quickly discovered that he had regained use of his body. Jumping to his feet the boy glared at his master, desperately wanting to retaliate.

"Come on idiot apprentice," Cross taunted, laughing at the angry expression on the boy's face. "Come at me."

Normally Allen wouldn't have dreamed of attacking his master but he was so angry over that low blow that he didn't think of the possible repercussions. Growling low in his throat he dashed toward the spot where Cross was standing, a smug expression on his face.

"Magdala Curtain Activate!"

The corpse named Maria once again began to sing and, to Allen's complete surprise, both she and Cross vanished into thin air.

"What the…" Allen exclaimed as his gaze shifted around the area, frantically searching for any signs of either his master or Maria. "Where did they…"

This question was cut short as Allen once again felt the impact of a foot in his stomach. Flying through the air the boy hit a tree trunk and slumped to the ground. All of the breath was knocked from the youth and he merely sat on the ground, waiting for the next attack.

"That's pathetic," Cross snarled as he and Maria suddenly appeared a few feet from the spot where Allen was lying. "I can see that we still have plenty of work to do."

Holding up his hands Cross hastily muttered the incantation that would once again seal Maria inside the coffin that was her home. Then, once that task was complete, he turned his attention back to the boy who was slumped on the ground.

"Get to your feet idiot apprentice," the General snapped. "We have to get back to town so that you can find a job. That room won't pay for its self you know."

Once again longing to lash out at his master Allen got to his feet and fell into step behind the man. This encounter with Grave of Maria had left the boy determined to improve his skills so that he could combat any enemy, both seen and unseen.

A/N - here's another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	25. Finally Over

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Twenty-Five - Finally Over

As Allen made his way to Master Cross' room he vaguely wondered why he had been summoned. This was out of the ordinary and the boy was slightly suspicious over the whole thing. And there was also the fact that he had been told NOT to get a job on this particular day.

That fact in and of itself practically screamed out that something was wrong. Which made Allen wary.

But he made his way to the room none the less. Because, although he was somewhat concerned about his master's intentions, Allen knew that it would be worse if he chose to ignore the summons. And he had absolutely no desire to make Master Cross angry because that never boded well for him.

"I wonder what's going on…" the boy thought to himself as he continued onward.

When the white haired youth reached the door he hesitated for just a moment before knocking. Then he stepped back and waited. Mere seconds later he heard a voice calling out to him, bidding him enter.

So, with a deep breath, Allen complied.

Grasping the handle he pulled the door open and stepped inside the room. After closing the door the boy's gaze shifted about the room, before finally falling on his master. Master Cross was sitting in a chair, a glass of red wine held in his hand.

"Allen," Cross said as the white haired boy entered the room. "Sit down."

Crossing the room Allen knelt on the floor, facing his master. "Yes… master." He was growing more confused by the minute. Master Cross almost never used his actual, given name.

This was setting off warning sirens in his mind.

"Can you believe that it's been three years since you became my apprentice?" It actually felt more like an eternity to the boy but he opted to keep his mouth shut. Which was a good thing since Cross wasn't finished speaking yet. "You've made tremendous progress on your path to becoming an Exorcist. Which is why, as of today, you can officially call yourself a full fledged professional Exorcist."

Allen's gray eyes widened as he heard these words; he could hardly believe it. "Are you serious?"

"Sort of," Cross said, taking a sip of wine. "First you have to agree on paying a visit to the Exorcists' headquarters for me." Cross had got to his feet by this time and was walking toward his confused apprentice. And as he approached he held up a large hammer. "Wait, you do know where the headquarters are don't you?"

"Yea…" Allen's gaze had fallen upon the hammer that his master held in his hand. And he didn't like the look that had appeared in the man's one visible red eye. Without any conscious thought on the subject Allen began backing away.

"I'll leave Timcanpy with you."

At the sound of his name the little golden creature rose into the air, leaving his position on Cross' shoulder.

"I've already sent a referral letter to an executive named Komui…" As he spoke Cross took a couple more steps toward the boy. Which caused Allen to inch himself even further away, in an attempt to escape his master.

He didn't know what was going on but he knew that he didn't like it.

"So leave first thing in the morning."

Allen's face paled as he heard these words. He was fairly certain that he knew what was coming next and he didn't like it. "Let me guess… you're not coming with me, are you?"

"Hell no!" Cross exclaimed, holding up the hammer as he spoke. "I'd rather lose a thumb than go back there!"

Allen cried out as the hammer descended and then…

* * *

Allen groaned slightly as he once again returned to full consciousness. His head was throbbing and the boy absently reached a hand up to inspect the damage. He groaned softly to himself as his hand came into contact with a large bump that had definitely not been there before.

Pulling himself to a sitting position Allen surveyed the room and found, to his horror, that it was completely empty.

"I guess he wasn't joking," Allen thought to himself as he felt a familiar weight settle on top of his white hair. Reaching up he absently touched one of Timcanpy's little wings. "Well I should probably be on my way."

Getting to his feet Allen left the room that had belonged to his master and made his way next door to his own. The boy quickly changed his clothes and then packed his meager belongings into his suitcase. He had been ordered to go to the headquarters of the Black Order and he would do this.

Not for his master but because he had made a promise. A promise to Mana and to all the Akuma; a promise that he would save them.

And it was a promise that the boy fully intended to keep, no matter how difficult the path might prove to be.

"Never stop… keep walking… until the day you die."

"I promise Mana," Allen thought to himself as he picked up his suitcase and prepared to leave the room. He was ready to set out on his own; ready to embark on a path that had been chosen for him on that fateful day.

A/N - The End. This story is officially complete now. Hope that you enjoyed this little journey, please leave a final review and tell me what you thought.


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